Tsubasa Chronicles Remix
by sweet strawberry kiss
Summary: Meine, the heir to the throne of her country sets out on a journey to find a way to revive a loved one. She encounters our four travelers in the shop and joins their journey, only to get more than what she had originally asked for.
1. I: The Shop of the Dimensional Witch

_**Meine-chan09:**_ Hi guys! **_please bother reading this for a while_**. A friend of mine suggested the idea of having a female OC on tsubasa Chronicles who will travel alongside with syaoran and the rest. The person who suggested Meine-chan was the one who named her, while her background, family members and looks was from me. I'm also the one who comes up with the chapter summaries but they are not written by me :D, the username "heyzelle" is the one responsible for the fanfic itself, without her nothing will progress :D so don't forget to subscribe to her as well :D

**_We disclaim the anime Tsubasa Chronicles and its characters. Unfortunately they don't belong to us :PPP hahaha XD_**

**_and we claim all the rights to Meine Liebe von Kreautz, anyone who will copy her will be sued and punished by the law, oh yeah baby, she is licensed. _**

Please enjoy and don't forget to comment and subscribe :) thanks :D

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**I: The Shop of the Dimensional Witch**

In the country of Rosette where everyone who inhabited it is vampires, the last remaining pure blood princess of the royal bloodline is currently experiencing problems. The princess had long dark hair that was as black as the night and as smooth as the finest silk in the land; amethyst eyes, and almost perfect features. Everyone found her adorable and she was considered a treasure of the land. But today, Meine Liebe von Kreautz sat in front of the palace council, trying to convince them to allow her to go somewhere.

The place Meine wanted to go to was the shop of the Dimensional Witch, the person who grants wishes in exchange for something of equal price. Her wish was to go to the "Garden of Eve" and acquire the "Eglantine Rose": a rose rumored to have powers that could bring back the soul of the dead. She wanted to revive her older brother Akemi who had died because of a surprise attack from Fei Wong Reed who stabbed him with a sword through his chest using his powers to cross dimensions. Meine and Akemi were supposed to marry one another to produce more vampires for the next generation.

"Meine-sama, I'm afraid we cannot allow you to go on this journey. It is simply too dangerous for a girl like you alone." said a council member.

Meine could not help but roll her eyes. "Are you questioning my strength?" she asked incredulously.

The council member who spoke could not reply and sat back down. Another stood and spoke to the princess. "Your highness, the witch always asks for a price in exchange for your wish. Are you willing to pay the price?"

She was starting to get pissed and she pinched the bridge of her nose to keep her temper. "Yes. I am perfectly aware of it."

The council looked amongst them, discussing in hushed voices. Meine took this as a chance to keep herself from breaking these guys necks. Being a pureblood, she is much more powerful than any of the other vampires inside the room.

Suddenly, a young council member who happened to be a childhood friend of Meine stood up. He smiled and bowed at Meine before speaking. "If everyone who please listen to me for just one moment…" –all eyes immediately went to the young council member— "I think we should let the princess go on with her journey."

"But it's dangerous!" a member interjected.

Meine raised a finger. "Let him talk!" she ordered.

The young council member bowed his head at Meine and continued. "The princess is a strong and wise young woman. I believe she had thought about this and has readied herself psychologically for this. This journey will teach her things that her teachers here in the castle will not be able to teach her. This journey will broaden her sense of the world."

The rest of the council discussed this briefly, Meine fidgeting in her seat. She knew she had them when the young council member (also her childhood friend) winked at her and looked away. She can barely stay still in her seat.

When she heard a sigh from the oldest and considered the wisest of the group, she knew she was in.

"Alright… You have our permission princess." he said.

Meine immediately stood up from her seat and ordered the guard who stood by the door. "Bring me the high priest!"

* * *

After changing into new clothes and bringing the thing she needed just in case, a dagger that held the emblem of the royal family. She stood in the middle of a large circular room. A few feet away from her was the High Priest of the country who wore a hood over his head and a long staff in his hand.

"Please take care of yourself, Meine-sama." he said, bowing low before raising his staff.

"I will." she said with a smile.

A magic circle appeared beneath Meine's feet and opaque, water-like substance surrounded her until she couldn't see the room or the High Priest anymore. The next thing she knew was that she was standing in front of a weird house surrounded by tall buildings.

In this world, it was raining and a tall woman wearing a black dress and a moon necklace around her neck stood in front of them. Meine could feel power coming from her but something was off. She was there, but at the same time she wasn't.

She also noticed that there was a boy beside her with chocolate brown hair with tattered clothes holding a girl in his arms.

"Are you the space-time witch?" he asked.

"…I have been called that." The woman replied.

"Please… Please save Sakura!" he pleaded.

The witch glanced at Meine before walking towards the boy. She kneeled down and touched the girl's forehead. "What's your name?"

"Syaoran." he said.

"This child has lost something very precious, and that something has been scattered to different dimensions. If nothing is done, this child will die."

The witch ordered the boy wearing glasses behind to get something for her and he ran back inside the house, being dragged by two little girls.

"There is a price if you wish to save this child." she said to Syaoran.

The boy looked at the witch with determined eyes. "I will pay any price I can just to save Sakura!"

She nodded and turned to Meine. "What is your wish?"

Their conversation was cut short when a high-pitches sound came out of nowhere. Her instincts told her that something was coming. She browsed her surroundings and noticed that the sky was changing color.

"Here they come." The witch said.

Similar water-like substance like the ones that swallowed Meine before stretched out from the sky and another one from the ground. It dispersed at the same time and now, two tall men were now standing in front of Meine and Syaoran. The taller one of the two men wore black all over and held a long sword. He even had blood on his cheek. The other one a long white coat lined with fur and had blue designs. He carried a long staff similar to the one the High Priest back in her country had.

It was almost comical when the two of them unintentionally spoke at the same time.

"Who the hell are you?" the one in black rudely asked.

"Are you the Witch of Dimensions?" the one in white asked.

Both of them looked at each other, the black one glaring at the white one.

"Please give me your names first." The witch said, pointing at Meine to start speaking.

Meine curtsied. "I am the last princess of the country of Rosette, Meine Liebe von Kreautz."

The witch turned to the man in black.

"I'm Kurogane." he said rudely once again.

The witch turned to the one in white, ignoring the questions of Kurogane and waited for him to speak. This man was much more polite than Kurogane. He bowed before the witch before introducing himself. "I am a wizard from the country of Celes, Fai D. Fluorite."

"Do you know where we are?"

Fai nodded. "A place where any wish could be granted if a suitable price is paid."

"That is correct, the reason you are all here because each of you has a wish."

The two of them spoke at the same time once again.

"I never want to return to the world I'm from." Fai said with a smile.

"I want to return to the world I came from!" Kurogane said, glaring at Fai when he noticed that they spoke in unison again.

The witch turned to Meine and waited for her answer. "There's a place that I want to go to…" Meine whispered.

"That's a tall order for you three… no, the four of you." the witch said. "Perhaps even if you offered the most precious things you own, none of you has enough to pay. But if you four paid it together, you may just be able to afford it."

"What kind of crap are you spouting?" Kurogane interrupted.

"All four of your wishes are the same." The witch explained. She turned to Syaoran. "You want to go to different worlds to restore the memory of the girl…" she turned to Meine. "You want to go to a certain place…" – then she faced Fai and Kurogane. "You want to go to your home world; while you, on the other hand want to go to different worlds to avoid returning to your own.

"Your wishes are different but the means are the same. You have different reasons why you want to go to different worlds. Each of you individually cannot make that wish happen. However if the four of you combine payment for one wish, then you just might afford it."

"What would my payment be?" Kurogane asked.

She pointed at the unsheathed long sword he was holding. He took a step back and raised the sword above his head and kept it away from the witch. "I'll never sell away my Ginryuu!"

The Dimensional Witch had a sly look on her face and she poked him on the chest. "Fine then, in exchange, you can roam around looking like a cosplayer, violate the weapon laws, get arrested by the police, and get interviewed on television."

She watched with a huge smirk on her face as Kurogane tried to decipher what half those words meant.

Fai told Kurogane about something that she is the only one in this world able to send another person to a different direction. The witch already had her hand outstretched as she waited for him give the sword.

Kurogane reluctantly sheathed his sword and handed it to the witch with a huff. "When I'm free from this curse, I'm coming back for it!"

The witch took the sword but she never once touched it with her own hands. She let it float next to her as she faced Fai. "Your price is your tattoo."

Fai looked troubled. "I don't suppose this staff would do instead?"

"The price is supposed to be something you value the most." she said.

He was smiling even though his eyebrows met in the middle. "I guess I have no choice then…" He leaned forward slightly and through his cloths, weird markings floated off of his back and went to hover beside the witch.

The witch's eyes landed on Meine. "Your price is that scar on your chest."

Meine's hand immediately went to her chest. The scar that was being asked from her was the source of her healing powers. Without it, she would heal at the same rate as a regular human being. She sighed and let her hand down, nodding at the witch before the scar floated out of her clothes.

The witch then turned to Syaoran. "What about you? Now is the time to hand over your item of highest value. Then you will be able to travel through different dimensions."

"Fine."

"You realize that I haven't named the price yet."

"Yes…"

"The only thing I can do is send you to other worlds. Finding the child's memories is something you will have to do on your own."

"Fine." Syaoran repeated.

The boy wearing glasses came back running from inside the house holding two things that Meine couldn't figure out what it was.

The witch took the white one with the red gem on its forehead. "The name of this young one is Mokona Modoki. This little one will take you to different dimensions, but there is no way of telling which dimension it is." The witch paused. "For that reason, only fate will decide when your wishes will be granted. However there is no coincidence in the world…there is only _hitsuzen._ What brought you together was also hitsuzen."

She faced Syaoran. "Your price is your relationship with Sakura. That is your price."

Syaoran looked confused. "But how—?"

The witch cut him off and explained. "Even if this child's memories are restored, your relationship with her will never be the same again. If you want to accept Mokona that relationship will end. Even if you retrieve all of her memories, the one memory that you will never be able to get back will be the memory of you. That is my price. Will you still do it?"

He nodded without even giving it a second thought. "I will not let Sakura die!"

She nodded. "Travel between worlds is more difficult than you imagine. There are a wide variety of worlds. You may meet different versions of the same person time after time on different worlds. Just because that person is nice to you on one world doesn't mean you will find an ally on the next."

"You'll find worlds where you can't communicate, where common sense doesn't work… There are worlds full of criminals, worlds of liars, worlds locked in constant wars… That said, are you still determined to see it through?"

"Yes." Syaoran nodded.

The witch held out the little white creature. "Sincerity and determination, no matter what a person wants to attempt, those are needed and it seems that you are provided with them both."

Mokona floated out of her hand and a magic circle appeared under it. It grew large white wings on its back and when it opened its mouth, a strong vacuum sucked them inside the small creature.

**_-chapter owari-_**

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_heyzelle**: If you have noticed some changes, at some places, let me just share to you that the first time this was uploaded, it was the unedited version that I sent to the original owner of this account. This new and improved chapter has been edited and if you see a few minor grammar mistakes, please forgive me. I am only human.

Again, let me share to you that this account does not belong to me and I am only editing this. I am the original writer of this story but we (the people who kindly asked me to do this, gave me this account to exclusively post Meine-chan's story.

Spread Meine's existence through out the internet! and if you want to use her somewhere like a drawing or a *cough*doujinshi*cough*, please inform me in either this account or the one with the username below. Let me repeat what was said in the first note above, "She is licensed, baby!"

Please also visit my account under the pen name "heyzelle".

thank you!

_-heyzelle_


	2. II: Hanshin Republic

**II: Hanshin Republic**

Meine opened her eyes slowly and found herself in a small square room with a towel draped over her shoulders. Her hair was still slightly wet from the rain in the witch's dimension. Sitting a few feet from her were the magician Fai and the round white creature named Mokona, who were both trying to dry off Syaoran's sleeping figure that seemed to have fainted during the transfer of dimensions. Even in his sleep, he still wouldn't let go of Sakura. On the corner of the room was Kurogane who had his head hung low and his face hidden by his headgear. His eyes were closed but Meine could tell that this warrior was not asleep.

"Ah she's up!" said a voice that came out Mokona. The little white creature bounced towards her and landed on her knee. "Mokona tried to dry you while you were asleep."

"Thank you…" Meine whispered curtly and patted Mokona's head. She let Mokona jump off of her knee as she used the towel over her shoulders to dry her hair. She noticed that Fai stood up only to sit on the empty space next to her.

He smiled at her. "Hello, I'm Fai. What's your name?"

Meine has been raised to not talk to suspicious men, and Fai was one of them. She could sense great power coming from him and she decided to ignore him.

"Nee…?" he said trying to get her attention by leaning forward towards her face, catching Meine off guard. She tried to hide the slight blush in her face by continuing to dry her hair. Her heart was beating so loudly that she swore that the person beside her could it as loud as a bell.

He just sat there, waiting for a response of some sort. Meine tried her best to avoid his eyes as she continued on with her task. He looked at her with sparkling blue eyes that sent weird shivers down her spine, her instincts telling Meine to actually move away from the suspicious man but her body wouldn't allow her.

"SAKURA!" Syaoran screamed as he woke up with a start. He was surprised to see the little white creature on his chest as it was drying his face with a white towel.

"It looks like you're up!" Fai said with a smile and moving towards the two who were lying down on the futon. "Even while you slept you wouldn't let go of the girl. We tried to dry her off but you wouldn't let go."

He sat up and set the sleeping girl on the bed. "Thank you." he said to Fai. "My name is Syaoran."

"My name's pretty long so you can just call me Fai." He wore this huge smile on his face that never seemed to disappear. He looked at Kurogane in the corner. "And that person in the corner is Mr. Black."

The seemingly sleeping figure rose and shouted at the mage. "It's not "Mr. Black", its Kurogane!"

Fai turned to face Meine. He smiled warmly at her. "What will we call you, young lady? You didn't want to tell me your name earlier."

Meine didn't speak after only she noticed that their eyes were on her. "…Meine… My name is Meine."

He smiled and turned his back on her to face Syaoran. He seemed to be staring at Syaoran's back for some reason and that got Meine curious. _What is he going to do?_ She thought.

He suddenly reached his arm around Syaoran as if he was rummaging in his wrap in search of something.

Syaoran was obviously not expecting Fai to do this as he screamed loudly in surprise, even Kurogane sweat-dropped at the sight. Meine however was blushing at the scene in front of her. When he pulled away from the poor boy, he held a large white feather with designs imprinted on it.

"Is this what a piece of memory looks for this child?" he held the feather out for them to see.

Meine's eyebrows furrowed. She felt a huge wave of power coming from the feather that she didn't feel when she was alone with Syaoran in the witch's shop. If it truly was there earlier, she wouldn't have missed a power that great.

"That's one of the feathers that flew away. This is one of Sakura's memories!" Syaoran exclaimed.

The feather floated out of Fai's hand and flew towards Sakura's chest where it entered her.

"Her body's a little warmer." Syaoran whispered with relief.

"If you didn't have that feather, it would've been a problem." Fai said.

"One of the feathers stuck to my clothes by coincidence."

Meine crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "There are no coincidences in this world, there is only _hitsuzen_."

Fai nodded in agreement. "That's what the witch said, remember? My guess is you grabbed the feather unconsciously in order to save the girl. But how do can we find more feathers. I doubt that we'll find more in our clothes."

The little white creature bounced only to land on top of Syaoran's head. "Mokona knows!" All their eyes landed on it as it waved its small hands to get everyone's attention. "That feather gave out really big waves so when one is nearby, Mokona will be like this.

The little white creature's eyes opened and its mouth turned into an "O" shape that you never really expected to come out of such a cute thing. Meine and Kurogane screamed in shock, Syaoran seemed to have frozen, and Fai didn't have any reaction. He just sat there with the usual smile on his face.

"Well it looks like we have a way. If we get close to a feather, Mokona will let us know." Fai said.

"Whether or not you get to search for the feathers is up to you guys, but it has nothing to do with me." Kurogane said with a slight huff. "I came here to return to my world and that is my only purpose. I don't plan on joining or helping you because I'm not doing it."

Syaoran nodded. "Yes, this is my mission. I'll do my best not to cause you any trouble."

Fai laughed loudly and gave Syaoran a pat on the back. He noticed that Kurogane glared at him and Meine. "What will the two of you do? Will you help out that brat?"

Fai just smiled. "I suppose so. Unlike you, returning to my world isn't my priority. So as long as my life is not in harm, I'll be helping Syaoran-kun out. There isn't anything to do anyway."

Kurogane's eyes moved to Meine. "I don't mind helping out if it makes the stay in a certain dimension faster."

Just then, the door suddenly opened and the four of them instinctively went on defense position. A man and a woman entered the room, both carrying things in their hands. Both of them took of their shoes and left it at the step before entering the room.

"Yo!" the man greeted. "You woke up. Don't be so alert, you came from Yuuko-san's place right?"

"Yuuko-san?" Syaoran asked. He was handed a blanket by the woman which he used to cover Sakura's sleeping body.

"The Witch-neesan, the Witch of Dimensions, the Far-East Witch… She's called by a lot of names." The man said with a smile. "I'm Arisugawa Sorata."

The woman bowed her head. "I'm Arashi." she said as she was handing out tea to everyone.

Sorata faced Kurogane and placed both hands on his shoulders. "If you flirt with my honey, I will kill you."

"WHY IS IT ONLY ME?!" Kurogane complained with a scowl on his face.

Sorata took Mokona into his hand. "First of all, did that Witch-neesan give you this?

"Mokona Modoki!" it exclaimed.

"I heard the story from blond-niichan over there. For one thing niichan, you're a little lucky."

"In what way exactly?" Fai asked.

"Mokona has no idea which is the next world right? So, it's a happy chance that brought you to this world first." He took several steps towards the window and slid it open. "…because this is _Hanshin Republic!_"

* * *

Sorata held a hand puppet that looked just like him to explain things in a much more fun way. Behind him was a big white board with some charts and a map of their world attached to it to help him with his lesson. "You are in the Hanshin Republic, a very nice country. It is surrounded by seas in all sides, and some typhoons come and go sometimes but we have no earthquakes! We have a nice relationship with other countries and the economy is quite nice."

Puppet Sorata held a long pointer in his hands and approached a chart. "We have four seasons. Right now its autumn, so the rice tastes best during this season! Mostly we use flour or our food and our tiger sauce is also famous."

Puppet Sorata donned a graduation cap, while on the side Arashi now held a puppet similar to Sorata's but it looked just like her. "For laws we have the constitution of Hanshin: we never make wars with other countries!" Puppet Sorata continued. "For transportation, we have cars, bicycles, motorcycles…" as he named each mode of transportation, he moved closer to Puppet Arashi. "… Ships, trains, airplanes… and maybe a baby carriage too, Honey?"

"…" said the Puppet Arashi.

"The country looks like that," he pointed at the country with the shape of a tiger using his pointer. "It looks like a tiger so many people call it the country of the tiger."

"The Republic has a lot of tiger stuff." he continued, showing them the flag of their country which had the silhouette of a tiger's head in the middle and their currency. "Our currency is called the _koko_ (tiger), and our national flag also has a tiger mark. The baseball team also has a tiger mark!"

Fai raised his hand which was still covered with black gloves that came with his original outfit. "May I ask a question?"

Puppet Sorata pointed his pointer at him. "Yes, Fai-kun?"

"Does everyone in your country have the same accent that you have?"

"You can call me Sora-chan." Sorata said. "The way I speak is an older version of our language."

"It was used in the old days?" Syaoran asked.

"Yeah, nowadays hardly anyone uses this language anymore, but I as a history teacher, want to keep traditions." he explained.

"You're a history teacher?" Syaoran asked again."

"I take it you have an interest in history?"

Syaoran nodded. "In my world, I used to help in archaeological digs."

Meine covered her mouth to hide the yawn that came through her. She never really had any interest in history. She felt oddly tired and all she just wanted to do is lie down and rest. She glanced over at Kurogane who was now dozing off in his corner.

"One more question." She heard Fai say. "Who owns this room?"

Sorata place both his hands on his wife's shoulders. "This is an empty traditional apartment room that my honey and I manage."

He noticed Kurogane sleeping in the corner and pointed his mighty finger at him. "Pay attention!" he said in a loud voice. An unknown force suddenly hit Kurogane at the back of his head causing the other travelers to be once again alert. Meine got on the balls of her feet at the enemy attack, her amethyst eyes shining yellow as her vampire nature came into action. Syaoran immediately used his own body to shield Sakura's.

"What was that?!" Kurogane asked, scanning the room for any other life form. "I wasn't able to sense anything…" He turned his head to glare at Sorata. "Did you throw something?!"

Fai was serious, he wasn't like his usual smiley self. "You're in a corner. If he had been the one who threw that, it would've hit you somewhere else. It had to come from above."

Meine ignored them and scanned the room herself using her other senses. Other than their presences, she didn't feel anything else. _Who threw that…?_ She asked herself. She felt her fang on her lower lip and tried her best to relax herself.

Sorata looked at them, dumbfounded. "What? I just used my _kudan._"

All four pairs of eyes set on Sorata as they all repeated the word "kudan" with confused look on their faces. Meine started to relax just a bit but was still poised to attack if there were any danger.

"Oh yeah, you guys are from a different dimension so you don't know about it." Sorata said. He inserted a marker into Puppet Sorata's mouth and started writing something on the white board behind him.

"Everything in this world is "haunted" by a kudan. This is how you write it."

"Oh, I see…" Kurogane murmured.

"I can't read it." Fai said with a smile. "My country doesn't use those symbols."

Even Mokona bounced on Syaoran's knee. "Mokona can read it!"

"I can read it too." Syaoran said.

Mokona turned around to look at Meine. "Can you read it Meine?"

Meine shook her head.

"So Kurogane and Syaoran's worlds use kanji, but not Fai and Meine's. But for some reason, the spoken language is the same." Sorata thought aloud.

Meine raised her hand to ask her own question. Sorata kindly pointed at her and waited for her to speak. "This kudan… What is it? You said it "haunts?"

"Even if you are from another dimension, you will still have a kudan." Arashi spoke. She knelt down beside Sakura. "I don't know where the fragments of Sakura-san's memories went. It could be in anyone's hands right now. You don't know if a conflict will arise from this."

She looked over at Fai and Kurogane. "You guys lost your power to fight right?"

Meine noticed that Fai smiled went down slightly. "How did you know?"

"She used to be a miko." Soarata explained. "She has the sixth sense. But she retired because she married me."

Fai scratched the back of his head and the smile returned to his face. "I gave the witch of dimensions my power."

"And that witch took my sword!" Kurogane complained.

Arashi looked at Meine, waiting for her to tell her what she paid as a price. "The witch took away my healing powers. If I get wounded, it wouldn't heal as quickly as before so I discourage myself to use it."

She went back to Syaoran. "I didn't hand over any powers to her. I didn't have any magical powers or weapons to begin with."

"Maybe you are lucky." Arashi said with a smile. "…Because in conflict, kudans can be used as weapon."

"Kudans are for battle?" Syaoran asked.

"What it is and how to use it… That's something you have to find out about yourself. To understand what a kudan is, you have to see it with your own eyes" Sorata said with his arms crossed.

"So the intro to this country is finished!" he exclaimed as he nodded to the bored. He turned to Mokona and leaned forward. "Is there a feather that belongs to Sakura-chan in this country?"

"Yes." Mokona replied. "It's far away, but it's here."

"Let's look for the feather!" Sorata said to Syaoran, who nodded in reply. He looked over at the rest of the gang. "Will you guys be helping Syaoran-kun out?"

Fai smiled. "I suppose so."

"I don't mind, as long as it doesn't hurt me in anyway." Meine grunted as sleep was starting to make her eyelids heavy.

"If I said that I wanted to leave, would you do it?" Kurogane rudely asked the little white creature who shook its head, its big ears moving along with the motion. "Nope, I won't leave this country until the feather is found."

Sorata nodded. "Okay then. We'll be taking care of you guys until you depart for another world." He took his wife's hands and gently squeezed it. "After all, we are in the witch's debt."

"You can stay here until you go to another world." He continued, dragging along Arashi and pushing the white board out of the room. "Since it's almost midnight, I'll show you to your rooms. Fai and Kurogane can stay together in a room."

"WHAT?!" Kurogane shouted.

Sorata ignored him and offered a hand to help Meine up. "You'll be staying in a room next to this, Meine-chan."

"Thank you." Meine said, taking the offered hand. She followed the other three men outside. Mokona jumped off of Kurogane's shoulders and landed on Meine's. "Mokona will sleep with Meine tonight!" it said. Meine couldn't help but hold the soft creature against her face.

She turned around to look at Syaoran and heard Arashi speak to him. "You should sleep. We don't know what could be awaiting you in this country so it's best to get some rest while you can."

Syaoran nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"My honey and I will protect you so relax and sleep peacefully." Sorata said over his shoulder as he opened the door for Arashi.

Arashi opened the door next to Syaoran's room and looked over at Meine and Mokona. "You can take this room."

"Thank you." Meine whispered as she took off her shoes before the step just like what Sorata and Arashi did before they entered the room before.

"Goodnight."Arashi said with a smile as she closed the door. "Sleep well."

"Thank you." she repeated as she sat down on the futon that was already laid on the floor. The little white creature on her shoulder jumped off her and landed on the warm futon. It rolled around the bed for quite some time, enjoying its warmth.

Meine lay down on the bed beside Mokona, who had now settled itself on the corner of the pillow. "Goodnight, Meine." Mokona whispered as it drifted off to sleep. Meine pulled the covers on top of them and patted the little white creatures head. "Goodnight, Mokona."

* * *

Miene opened her eyes and found herself inside her old room in the castle back in Rosette. Her four-poster bed witch lace curtains were there just like always. She looked around her room and found it just like it always was. She pushed away the covers and found herself still in the clothes she wore when she left for the dimensional witch's place.

Wait…

How can she be back to her old world when she was just with Syaoran and the rest?

Meine jumped out of her bed, her vampire blood coursing in her veins. Her eyes shined yellow as she put herself in defense position. She opened the door leading to her room and found the person she was least expecting in front of her.

Her older brother Akemi smiled back at her as he was leaning on the wall opposite her door. "Good morning, my adorable little sister." He said with a smile as he pulled Meine into his arms. "How are you doing today?"

Meine froze; her blood sizzled under her skin. Her mind was sharp and clear and she could tell everything around her was wrong. She wasn't back at her own world, and this wasn't her beloved brother's touch. This was something else.

She pushed away, her sharp nails extending to become claws as she scratched the being who was pretending to be Akemi. Suddenly, everything around her disappeared and was eaten by the creeping darkness.

"What the-?!" she muttered as she watched her surroundings disappear. For some reason even though it was dark, she can still see herself.

A black orb which emitted a purplish glow materialized a few feet away from where Meine was standing. It expanded and took the form of a tall hooded cape.

"Who…?" Meine asked, lowering her arms as she didn't sense any danger around her anymore. "What are you?"

"I am the master of those who control the powers of the shadow. I have the power to conceal myself in the darkness and take the shape of any form that my master wishes me to be." The hooded cape explained. "I have been waiting for quite some time for a human who is powerful enough to control a kudan like myself. Do you desire power?"

Meine nodded. "Yes."

"To keep me and get the power, do you wish to do that?"

"Yes." she repeated. "I need power in order to protect myself and survive in this world."

The hooded cape swiftly moved forward and entered Meine through her chest, the same way that Sakura absorbed the feather.

Meine opened her eyes and found herself back inside the room provided for her in the Republic of Hanshin. She found Mokona sleeping peacefully beside her and occasionally saying the word "puu" for some reason.

Her hand unconsciously went to her chest and touched the area where the kudan entered her. She could swear that she felt something move inside her.

* * *

Meine and the rest of the gang stood outside the apartment building together with Arashi and Sorata. They all wore clothes that were worn in the Hanshin Republic.

Fai "whistled" as Meine stepped out of the front doors of the building. "Meine-chan looks so cute in that outfit!" She ignored the comment and stood between Kurogane and Syaoran. What she wore was a baby pink, long sleeved top topped with a black vest, a black ruffled skirt with pink petticoat lining underneath, black knee-high socks and black boots that reached up to her knees. She also had a pink bow on her hair to keep her hair back in a ponytail. She was dressed by Arashi and a teenage neighbor who seemed ecstatic about the thought of dressing a girl like Meine.

"You four!" Sorata said in a loud voice to call their attention as he exited the building. "There's no use staying inside. If you want to find Sakura-chan's feathers, why don't you go out and take a look around?"

"Alright." Fai and Mokona said in unison.

"Walk around, and then you'll understand what "kudan" is." Sorata said.

Meine noticed that Syaoran was glancing every now and then at the window of the room where Sakura was sleeping. Apparently, Arashi noticed it too.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'll take care of Sakura-san."

"Do we have to bring the white thing?" Kurogane grunted.

"Bring Mokona with you. Otherwise, you won't know if a feather is nearby. Don't worry, no one will mind Mokona. All sorts of weird things already happen in this city." Sorata said. He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a frog-shaped purse. He placed this on Meine's hand. "There's enough money for the four of you to buy lunch. So you guys go eat lunch together like good little boys and girls do."

Meine placed the purse in the pocket in the vest before the four of them headed out to the city.

They walked together through the city, weaving through the groups of people who walked back and forth and going on their own separate directions. Buildings of every size can be seen everywhere they looked.

"It's crowded." Fai said loudly but only the other three and Mokona can hear it. "Tall buildings mingle with small buildings… Have you ever seen this kind of scenery before, Syaoran-kun, Meine-chan?"

"No."Syaoran said as he shook his head a little so that the little white creature on top of his head wouldn't fall off.

Meine shook her head too as her eyes moved from side to side, taking in the exhilarating scene.

"And how about you, Kuro-tan?"

"No! And don't you dare call me by those weird nicknames!" he shouted that some people who passed by looked at him.

They continued to walk forward until they ended up to what appeared to be the market of the city. Stores that sold food and other perishable goods lined up the half the street.

They passed by a store which sold fruits and a man who was inside called their attention. "Welcome!" he said in a booming voice. "Would you want to buy some apples?"

The four of them stared at the round, red fruit in the man's hand.

"That's an apple?" Syaoran asked.

"Of course it is!" said the man with a smile.

Meine unconsciously drained out all sounds and just stared at the apple in the man's hand. It was shiny and looked quite appetizing.

The man noticed Meine and leaned forward to her. "Would you like an apple, young lady?"

"Is it sweet?" she asked.

"Of course it is!"The man said with a smile. "It's nutritious too!"

She continued to stare at the apple that she failed to notice that the other three males were arguing about what an apple looks like in their own worlds. The man was starting to get pissed that he roared at his young customers.

"Do you want to buy it or not?!"

Mokona raised its hand. "Buy!"

"I'll take five please!" Meine said and looked at the man with huge eyes. She loved sweets, loved it to the extent that she could eat about ten to twenty slices of cakes by herself.

The man took five apples from the basket, placed it inside a paper bag and handed it to Meine in exchange for the money that Sorata gave her for safe keeping. The man even tossed in another apple in the bag as they were about to leave.

Meine stared at the man and then back to the apple. The man laughed at her expression. "That's for you young lady! Consider a gift from me!"

She smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you very much!"

Mokona now stayed on Meine shoulder and looked at the apples in the bag that she held in her arms.

They decided to eat their apples at the bridge where they could see a river underneath it. They all took an apple from the bag and slowly took a bite from the fruit.

"Apples taste good!" Fai said with a smile.

Meine nodded as she took a huge bite.

"But we really are from different worlds…" he continued. This time, Meine listened in their conversation instead of drowning them out of her mind.

"How did you get to the Dimensional Witch's place, Syaoran-kun? You said you didn't know any magic."

"I was sent by the High Priest in my country." Syaoran replied.

"Ah! That priest must be really something. It's not easy to transport even a single person yet he managed to send to people at the same time!

"How about you, Meine-chan?"

"I arrived to the witch's place the same as Syaoran-kun. The High Priest back in my country sent me there."

"I see… who sent you to the witch's place, Kuro-rin?"

Kurogane flinched at the nickname. "I was forcefully sent there by the princess of my country."

Fai laughed together with Mokona. "You must have done something bad and you're being punished!" An angry Kurogane flailed his arms at the magician.

"What about you, Fai-san?" Meine asked. "Who sent you to the Dimensional Witch's shop?"

Fai smiled as he leaned against the railing of the bridge. "I went there on my own."

Kurogane glared at him. "Then why did you ask the dimensional witch for help when you could've just travelled between the worlds by yourself?"

"I can't! Even with all my power, I can only transport myself into another world once." Fai said in a tone that made it seem like it was just common sense for everybody. "The people who transported you all have very strong magical powers. But even if they used all of their power, I suppose they can only transport someone into another world once.

"That's why the priest transported Syaoran-kun to where the Dimensional Witch is. In order to get all of Sakura-chan's feathers that contain her memories, we have to travel to different worlds and the only one who has the power is the Witch of Dimensions."

Just then, a loud shriek that came from down the street was heard and they saw people running away from that direction. Meine noticed a group of people who wore goggles over their eyes and stood on top of the buildings. There was another group on the ground who wore caps and they seemed to be fighting with the group who was above them.

"We'll get you this time for sure! This is our territory!" shouted the leader of the cap-wearing group.

The leader of the group wearing goggle that stood in front of the group gave them a "thumbs down" gesture. Bystanders ran away, dragging along their children and their loved ones.

"Just because you have a _high level_ kudan doesn't mean you get to be so cocky!" shouted a member of the cap-wearing group.

Meine felt something move inside her chest, it was like something twitched inside her when she heard the word kudan.

The leader of the goggles-wearing group raised his arm above his head and his members behind him jumped off the building to attack, creatures of different shapes and sizes appearing on their arms out of nowhere. The opposing group below also had the creatures appear on their arms as they engaged into battle. Beams of light came out of the creatures and were aimed at the enemy. It took Meine a while to realize that these things were actually the thing they called _kudan_.

"So that's a kudan?" Kurogane asked, unshaken by the panic around him as he had his hands inside his pockets. Even Fai was relaxed and didn't seem to care.

"No wonder Mokona didn't scare anyone even though he can move around." Fai said, he discreetly shielded Meine from the people who were running away.

Some of the beams of light hit the buildings, causing some parts to collapse and fall on the sidewalk. The bystanders who happened to be standing there covered their heads and ran away screaming.

A tall kudan in a shape of a humanoid appeared and leaped to attack the leader of the group on top of the building. He didn't move from his spot. With her clear vampire eyes and her heightened senses because of the panic around her, Meine could see that he even smirked before giving them another thumbs down.

His kudan appeared in a form of a large manta ray and has the powers of water, unlike the other people who just had beams of light come out from their own kudans. The kudan opened its mouth and brought a huge wave of water, washing away the opposing group.

Syaoran noticed two boys running away. One of them slipped in a puddle of water caused by the huge wave from the leader's kudan. Meine noticed what Syaoran was going to do and tried to stop him, only to be stopped herself by Fai who held his arm out and blocked her way. Fai smiled at her and mouthed the words "let's just see what happens" at her.

"Watch out!" he shouted and jumped to cover the two boys from another wave. A huge ball of flame with an orange wolf in it appeared above Syaoran and made the wave evaporate and turn into steam. He glared at the man on top of the building.

"Looks like you have a high level kudan too!" he said with a smug smile.

The big, flaming, orange wolf landed on the ground beside Syaoran and stood I front of him to protect its master.

"A kudan that manipulates fire…" the leader thought aloud. "I'm water and you're fire… This is fun."

Syaoran stepped in front of the two boys together with his own kudan. Another huge wave came when the leader's kudan opened its mouth. This time, Syaoran was surrounded by a wall of flames that quickly turned the water to steam as soon as it made contact.

"I'm Asagi Shougo." The leader said. "What's your name?"

"…Syaoran."

"I like you now." he said with a smile.

A loud police siren was heard not far from the street that they were standing in.

"Shougo the police are coming!" said a member as they were starting to run away.

"Damn… this is bad timing." he muttered. He looked over his shoulder to leave his last message for Syaoran. "The nest time we meet again we'll have some real fun!" He jumped on top of his kudan and it flew away together with his group just before the police arrived.

Syaoran's wolf kudan turned into a ball of flames and entered through his own chest. Meine, Fai, and Kurogane approached him slowly.

"You were great, was that all you Syaoran-kun?" Fai asked with a smile.

"I don't know but my body just started to get hotter." he explained.

Meine stood a few feet away from them. She felt something was strange about the smaller boy together with the high school kid that Syaoran had just protected. She felt something shift in the background and she noticed that her shadow changed its form into a tall hooded cape but quickly returned back to her silhouette.

"It disappeared!" she heard Syaoran scream. She noticed that the smaller boy was missing.

"Oh, that was also a kudan!" Fai said.

"Eh?" Meine looked at him with slight disbelief. No wonder the boy felt different than the rest of them. "That boy was a kudan?"

"Anything's possible…" Kurogane, who stood next to her, muttered.

"Anyway, what happened to that kudan of ours?" Fai said as he looked around for a little round white ball with a red gem on its forehead.

Meine sighed and helped look around only to see Mokona surrounded by a group of girls who were all hugging and cuddling the little white creature. Kurogane lightly pushed her towards the group and motioned her with a small grunt to get Mokona back.

"Where were you, Mokona?" Fai asked as Meine brought Mokona back to their group.

"Mokona was on top of Kurogane, then he threw me off…" the cute creature explained. It bounced to Syaoran's head lightly and leaned forwards and flapped its arms up and down. "And Mokona went like this!" It opened its eyes and its mouth formed into a "O" shape, saying the word "Mekyo!"

"Sakura's feather is nearby?!" Syaoran asked, pulling Mokona to make it stand on his hands.

Meine lightly jumped off of her feet and sat on the railing of the bridge they were at before when they were eating apples. She listened in how Mokona explained how it felt the feather during the fight and how Mokona doesn't feel it anymore. Syaoran looked sad and disappointed.

"It's difficult to figure out who was there a few minutes ago…" Fai said, leaning against the railing beside Meine.

Syaoran tried to put a smile on his face and to be optimistic. "But the fact that we know someone has it is good."

The boy who Syaoran had just saved approached him slowly and gave him a low bow. "Thank you very much for that situation." he said. "My name is Saitou Masayoshi. Please allow me to do something in order to repay you for saving me."

Syaoran tried to decline the offer but Mokona suddenly jumped on top of his head and exclaimed. "Mokona wants lunch! Something really good!"

Masayoshi nodded and led them to a shop where they sold food which they called "okonomiyaki".

The five of them (including Mokona) stared at the pancakes in front of them. It was one of those shops where they cook the food in front of you so there was a stove on top of the table.

"This is…?" Syaoran asked.

"I like this okonomiyaki the best here!" Masayoshi said.

"This is called okonomiyaki?" Fai asked. He laughed softly when he noticed Meine, who sat between him and Kurogane; poke her own okonomiyaki with her chopstick and when he saw Kurogane stare intently on his own share.

"Okonomiyaki is the main food here in Hanshin Republic, so if you don't know, that means you're from outside of Hanshin?"

Fai placed his head on his hands. "You can say that." Masayoshi looked at him, confused. He then decided to change the subject. "Do those people always fight over there?"

Masayoshi looked down. "That… They want to test their strength. They form teams and compete to see who has the stronger kudan. There are bad teams and there are good teams. The good teams watch for people not to get violent in the property, and they fight the bad guys."

"What about the team that came here?" Syaoran asked.

"The ones in caps are the bad guys! But the ones with goggles are different! When they fight with the other teams, he only destroys a few buildings, and when the adults get mad, he doesn't do anything bad to them unlike the other teams."

_They still destroy the buildings… Isn't there any law that makes this illegal in this world?! _Meine thought. _Their government allows this?!_

Meine let her thoughts wander, not listening as Masayoshi explained the kudan rankings. She really didn't care and instead, she watched the okonomiyaki fry in front of her like what Kurogane was doing. She watched as Kurogane picked up the spatula on the plate in front of him and tried to flip it by raising it on one side.

"WAIT!!!"

Meine and Kurogane jumped, seeing as they were not listening. Two servers who both carried trays appeared in front of them, one with dark hair and another with gray-blond hair.

Suddenly Syaoran stood up and looked at the two of them with wide eyes. "You're Majesty?! Why is the king here?"

The man whose name that was written on his name tag is Touya looked at him, also confused about what this kid was saying. "I think you are mistaken, I am not this person who you referred as "king." He looked down on Kurogane who still had his arm up. "And sir, please wait so you don't knock anything over."

"O-okay…" he replied.

"He was a king in your country?" Fai asked Syaoran. "And the other one with him is the priest?"

"Yes…" Syaoran whispered.

"It's like the witch of dimensions said. You might meet someone from another world, but in different worlds they have different lives." Fai said, lost in thought. "But at the same time their "connections" are the same."

"Connections?" Meine asked.

Fai put his fingers together and made a heart shape. "The place of their lives, their name, their heart…"

"You mean their soul?" Kurogane grunted.

Meine looked down as Fai's words sunk into her mind. If there truly was a person in another world that has the same soul of the ones that you have met, then that means somewhere in this world, there is a person who looks like Akemi who is walking around in this very dimension. That thought made Meine want to find that person.

The six of them ate their okonomiyaki's while Masayoshi further explained the meanings of kudans and other stuff to know about Hanshin that Sorata wasn't able to explain. When they finished, they left again to search for the feather.

As soon as they stepped out of the okonomiyaki store, Meine noticed a group of men wearing Mohawks and were looking at them, particularly at Fai and Syaoran. No one other than her seemed to notice.

Masayoshi made them wait on a certain spot by a tall pillar so that he can call his parents and accompany their group around town to search. It was easier with someone who actually lived in this dimension instead of going around and getting lost.

Meine leaned against the pillar beside Kurogane.

"So, Syaoran-kun…" Fai said. "When we stopped talking before, you mentioned that you had a dream?"

Syaoran nodded. "That thing that came out of me was in a dream about a fire beast."

"I had a strange dream with a beast in it as well." Kurogane said over his shoulder. He had walked over to the store that he has been staring at for quite some time now.

As Fai was about to open his mouth to say something, a rotund man wearing dark glasses and a v-shaped Mohawk stepped forward to them. "Who is the boy called Syaoran?!"

"Why do you want to know?" Fai asked with his usual smile.

"Are you the man Shougo said he liked?" he asked the blond. Fai just continued to smile at him. "What if I am?"

Meine noticed that Kurogane was somewhat glaring at the mage. She could feel that something was odd too.

Syaoran stepped forward. "I am the person whom you are seeking." He said firmly.

"Are you going to join Shougo's team?!" The man asked.

"Team?"

"Don't play dumb with me!!!" The man shouted at him. "Shougo says he likes you! You've been haunted by a special kudan!"

"I do not intend to join."

"Then you'll join our team?" The man asked, hopeful.

"No." he said firmly. "As I said, I do not intend to join any team. I have nothing to do with you so…"

"So you intend to make your own team…" the man muttered that was barely loud enough to be heard but Meine could hear it loud and clear. He and his teammates had their heads down and Meine could feel the tension coming from them. "I am going to break you to pieces!!!"

Suddenly, his huge kudan appeared above him. The creature was like a ball of spikes with a long tail that was sharp that when it swung its tail to attack Syaoran, it sliced the pillar behind him in half. Syaoran easily evaded the attack by ducking down.

"I don't think he deserves this…" Meine heard Fai whisper to himself. He took a step forward, only to be stopped by Kurogane.

"This is getting boring." Kurogane said loudly. "How about I take you on?"

Meine stood up properly from the pillar she was leaning against and stepped towards Kurogane. "Sorry, Kurogane-san but I think I'll be the one to defeat Mr. Piggy over there. I'm getting irritated by the way he speaks to Syaoran-kun."

Kurogane didn't move away and just glared at her over his shoulder. "Look girlie, I'm getting pumped up here already so you stay out of this."

"You gave that witch your sword and I can see that you have no other weapons available in this kind of place. So let me handle this."

He just glared at her for a few seconds before Fai called their attention. "Kuro-pon, how about letting Meine-chan take this one. She seems pretty mad."

Kurogane grunted and stepped aside. Meine then stepped forward to take the place where Kurogane was standing a few seconds ago. "So Mr. Piggy… How about you fight me?"

The man who spoke to Syaoran rudely before laughed. "You think a little girl like you scares me?"

Meine finally let the thing she felt moving from her chest go and the large hooded cape that she saw in her dream appeared behind her. She felt her vampire blood sizzling under her skin as she felt her irritation level up to becoming just plain annoyed. Her eyes flashed from yellow then back to amethyst as her blood rushed to all parts of her body, heightening her senses and making her even more powerful.

Most of the men in the team in front of her stared intently at her kudan. "Still think I'm just a little girl?" she asked, raising one eyebrow at them.

The man shook in anger and pointed a finger at Meine. "Look at how my first level kudan moves!"

Meine's kudan returned to her shadow, leaving its master as it was her order. Having a tall shadow looming behind you as you fought an enemy was adding to the irritation on her nerves, but the enemy didn't know that!

"Kani nabe senkai!" he screamed and his kudan spun itself around, swinging its tail towards her in a full circle. Meine easily evaded the attack and jumped above the range of the kudan. It broke another pillar in half and brought a part of the ceiling down.

The kudan ran after her. Even thought it was huge it was actually quite fast. But it wasn't fat enough to catch up with Meine who looked like she was gliding on ice as the creature ran after her. It did another attack similar to the one it did before and split hit a few more pillars and made a few more parts of the ceiling fall, a huge chunk fell on top of Meine.

Syaoran screamed Meine's name and tried to run for her only to be stopped by Kurogane. "This is her fight, you stay out of this."

"But-!" Syaoran protested.

"Syaoran-kun, Meine-chan is fine. See?" He pointed towards the rubble where there were still dust hindering their point of view. As soon as the dust was blown away, they spotted Meine standing on top of all the rubble, unscathed… probably except for the tear on her sleeve that sliced the thin pink fabric.

"Ah…" Meine grumbled in a playful tone. "You ruined the shirt that they lent me! You're going to have to pay for that." She ripped the torn piece of the sleeve and threw it to the ground. "Now it's my turn. I'm going to give you a whole hell of pain." Her eyes were yellow now and her vampire instincts were telling her to rip the guy's throat apart, but since there were people around her, she would have to make do by fighting his kudan.

She extended her arm to the side and her kudan appeared from her shadow and turned into a large sword. It was black, just like the shadow but the blade of the sword was sharper than any other sword she has seen in her kingdom.

"Is that your kudan? Well… it looks like it's going to fall. This attack will stop you…Kane kui-houdai!!!" The blades from the kudan's body exploded and hit every direction.

Meine avoided each blade aimed at her and jumped on top of the kudan the second the blades stop coming out of its body. She stabbed the kudan in the middle with her kudan-sword. As soon as the blade stabbed the kudan, dark powerful wisps of aura started to surround the stabbed kudan, creating a rope like thing.

She immediately jumped away and landed on the ground flat on her feet. She watched her kudan slowly tighten the wisps of aura around its prey until the kudan exploded to dust. The rotund man cringed and held his body, screaming in pain and screaming for his kudan as it was blown away by the wind.

Meine relaxed her body and let her kudan go back into her chest.

Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane walked towards her.

"Meine-chan was amazing!" Fai and Mokona said in unison.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked with a worried voice.

Meine nodded and noticed Kurogane who was wearing a scowl on his face and was facing away from her. "Kurogane-san, thank you."

Kurogane just grunted.

* * *

"We're back!" Syaoran said as they entered the room where Sakura lay asleep. Arashi was sitting patiently beside Sakura stood up to greet them. At the exact same moment, Sorata came running to the room and demanded a kiss from Arashi, who gave him a huge bump on the head instead.

After a few minutes of explaining everything to Sorata, while Mokona talked to Arashi about the big bump on Sorata's head.

"I see… You felt something but it disappeared…" he thought aloud. "And when Syaoran-kun was in danger, a flaming wolf appeared out of him."

Syaoran nodded. Meine was handed a change of clothes by Arashi but instead of changing her tattered clothes, she sat there and listened to what Sorata-san was saying.

"And it seems that Meine-chan and Kurogane possesses one as well." Sorata said with a smile.

"How do you know?" Kurogane asked.

As soon as the talk about history started, Meine excused herself to change in the other room. Even if she moved to another room, she can still hear the conversation in the other room because of her vampire powers.

It's not like she was interested in what they were saying. It was history, the one particular subject she never really liked. Even the teacher back in her world had to force history down her throat. The only one who could really teach her history was her older brother Akemi…

In the other room, Meine heard Arashi speak and she stopped. She found out just recently that when Arashi speaks, it's often about something important.

"You felt the feather's presence but you lost it, you say?" she asked someone. Meine was pretty sure it was Mokona. "If it's just there or someone just had it, then we can somehow follow what was felt. But what if the one who has it is able to appear and disappear?"

Meine froze. "_Of course!" _she thought. "_The feather is inside a kudan! Why haven't I thought of that before!?"_ No wonder the feeling of the kudan before disappeared immediately when the people started to run away when they heard the police siren.

"Sakura-san's feathers are like really strong crystals of her spirit." she heard Arashi explain. "Kudans are things that control the spirit. If the spirit is strong, the kudan will be stronger."

"So for now…" Fai said. "Finding someone with a strong kudan is a pathway to Sakura-chan's feathers."

When the topic ended, Meine stopped listening too and continued on changing into a long-sleeved, button-down shirt and a long skirt similar to Arashi's. She also let her hair down today instead of tying it up like she usually does.

She heard the people in the other door shuffle around the room. The next thing she knew, someone was knocking lightly on her door.

She opened the door and saw Fai standing with a smile on his face. "Hello, Meine-chan." He said.

Meine nodded and moved aside to let the man in. He moved and sat himself in the middle of the empty room and smile. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" Meine asked as she walked towards him to sit down.

She gasped when Fai suddenly reached for her hand and pulled her down on his lap. Meine's face turned crimson as Fai leaned forward until their faces were merely inches apart and his hands busied themselves with, but she was barely aware of it. Back in her world, anyone who ever did this to her would be imprisoned.

There was genuine worry in his eyes and it made Meine's heart beat loudly against her chest. This has never happened before in her life. "You were hurt." he said, letting his thumb run down a small cut that was slightly sore.

It took a while for Meine to find her voice because she was mesmerized by Fai's sparkling blue eyes. "I-it's just a scratch!" she said, pushing away.

Fai smiled and took out a bandage from his pocket. "I got it from Arashi-san. She told me that I could keep it just in case." Meine stared at Fai as he wrapped the cut with the bandage and cut the paper with his teeth.

"There… Feel better?"he asked with a smile.

Once again Meine found herself blushing as she turned around and stomped out of the room. "I didn't ask for your help!"

She quickly ran down the stairs and went down to the kitchen where Kurogane was being ordered by Sorata to prepare some stuff. Arashi stood behind the counter, cooking something.

Sorata looked up. "What's wrong, Meine-chan? You're face is red…"

Meine immediately walked towards Arashi and shook her head. "…It's nothing."

* * *

The next day, the four of them went back to the main proper of Hanshin Republic to once again search for Sakura's feather. This time, Meine was given a turtle neck black sweater and matching black shorts to wear. She kindly refused the heeled slippers that the teenage girl (the one who helped dress her yesterday) was offering to her. Instead, she wore her usual black boots that she wore yesterday. This time, the teenage girl next door tied her hair using a long black ribbon.

They searched around for kudan as they walked around.

"As I thought, everyone doesn't walk around with their kudan out." Fai said as he searched the crowd.

Kurogane grunted and place both his hands on his hips. "Even if we find a kudan with the feather, will it give up the feather that easily?"

Mokona and Syaoran was too busy with their task of looking for a kudan that they failed to notice a small boy in oriental clothing with his body half-way out of the wall of a building.

Syaoran screamed when he saw the boy, who bowed low at the sight of the four of them.

Meine looked down the road and noticed Saitou Masayoshi running towards their direction. "Syaoran-kun!" he called. "Did you find what you needed?" As soon as he stopped in front of his kudan, it disappeared and returned back to its master. "If not, please let me guide you again! Today is Sunday so I'm free for the whole day."

"How were you able to find us?" Meine asked.

Masayoshi smiled. "My kudan can find anyone as long as he's met them once. But that's all he can do! He's pretty weak."

Suddenly, a loud ear-piercing shriek of an animal came from above and swooped down to grab Masayoshi and Mokona off the ground and it flew away up in the sky out of their reach. It appeared to be a kudan shaped like a large bird. As it was flying away, the bird dropped an envelope with a g-clef seal.

Syaoran picked up the envelope and found a letter inside. Meine peered over his shoulder and saw that the symbols on the paper were once again kanji, so she can't read what it said.

Syaoran seemed to be calling their names and saying something from another language that Meine couldn't understand, a bunch of slurred words that she had never heard before. He held out the letter and showed it to them. Kurogane and Fai started talking and again Meine couldn't understand it at all.

Fai and Kurogane and Meine looked at each other and tried to wonder why they couldn't understand anything. Then it hit all of them at the same time…

"MOKONA!" they all said in unison.

Syaoran started pointing at a bookstore and he bought a map using the money inside the frog-shaped purse which was now entrusted to him. He flipped it open and scanned the pages for a while and once again started pointing down the road.

Syaoran started to run down the street and motioned them to follow. Kurogane seemed to understand a little and ran after him. Fai just followed suit, but noticed that Meine just stood there, wondering what was happening and he took her hand and pulled her along as he ran fast towards the other two.

It wasn't like Meine was a slow runner. Vampires are naturally very fast in nature. She easily caught up with them but for some reason, even though she was running side by side Fai and the rest, he still wouldn't let go of her hand.

That reminded Meine of what he did yesterday and that made Meine's face turn bright crimson. Fai smiled when their eyes met.

They stopped and Syaoran said something again, this time pointing at a building surrounded by trees. Meine spotted a little white balloon with a red gem floating on top of the building but then she noticed the ropes tying it around a tiger-shaped statue.

"Mokona!" she heard Syaoran say. "Masayoshi!"

"There they are." Fai said, bringing his arm up to wave at them.

"They look happy… well, at least the white one does." Kurogane muttered under his breath.

They all looked at each other with surprised faces.

"Finally, I can understand what you're saying." Kurogane grunted.

"That means it really was Mokona's ability." Meine said.

The four of them started running once again towards the Hanshin Palace.

"That means if we get separated again, we won't be able to understand each other." Kurogane said aloud as they ran.

"Looks like it." Fai said with a smile.

"That's so annoying!!!" Kurogane shouted.

They arrived at the Hanshin Palace a few minutes later. They noticed the crowd of people in front of the Hanshin Palace like there was an important event happening there.

"Why the hell is going on here?" Kurogane asked, looking around.

Since they were standing in front of the Palace itself, like they were on a stage or something, everyone in the crowd can see them. Syaoran took this as an opportunity and stood at the edge. "Excuse me!" he said aloud and held out the letter. "Can anyone tell me who wrote this letter?"

"I did!" said someone in a sing song voice.

The crowd started to go wild as a beautiful girl with long sea foam green hair with buns on either side of her head. She also had a pair of fairy wings included in her cute costume.

"PRIMERA-CHAN!!!" the crowd screamed.

"Who the hell is this woman?!" Kurogane asked as he looked up.

The crowd booed and reprimanded Kurogane, as if it was his fault that he didn't know who the beautiful girl was.

Syaoran didn't seem to care and he stared at Primera with determined eyes. "Please let Mokona and Masayoshi-kun go!"

Primera looked confused. "Isn't that, Syaoran?"

"I'm Syaoran!"

Primera looked mad as she took out a big paper fan and started hitting his minions on the head. "Fools! You idiots got the wrong person!" When she was finished, she jumped off the veranda where she was staying and landed on the roof of the palace.

"If I'm the person you're looking for, please let those two go!" Syaoran said.

"No!" The crowd went wild when she winked and pointed a finger at them, her other hand against her hip. "If you want them back, you have to fight me first!"

Syaoran looked around. "I can't find a way to climb up!"

Fai placed a hand on Meine's shoulder as she tried to step forward to offer her help. He smiled at her and then pointed a finger at himself. "I might be able to get up!"

"How?" Kurogane grunted, crossing his arms.

Fai just smiled and then looked at Meine. "…By using my kudan."

Meine watched as a humongous green bird appeared behind Fai and a strong gust of wind blew. She saw translucent wings fold over Fai's body and his feet floated off the ground.

"He's flying…" Meine whispered as she moved to stand close to Syaoran and Kurogane.

Primera whined. "No fair! I can't even do that!" She held out her hand to the side and she smiled at her fans below. "Come out, kudan!"

He hand was shining at one moment and a microphone with speakers attached to it appeared. "Take this!"

"EVERYONE, CHECK THIS OUT!!!" she shouted to her kudan.

Meine wasn't expecting big letters of the sentence she had just said appear out of her kudan and swiftly move towards Fai. As soon as it was close enough, the letters exploded in mid air hitting Fai.

"Fai-san!" Syaoran screamed.

Kurogane and Meine were unshaken and just watched.

The smoke cleared and Fai was their up in the air and still in one piece. He was still as carefree as ever, floating up there in the air and twisting and turning…

"I'm surprised." Fai said, barely audible because of the roaring crowd and other sounds. "That's also a kudan? This country sure is amazing…"

The idol Primera started whining and flailed her arms around. "I won't lose!" she screamed into her mike. Letters of what she said appeared in one line and exploded once they get near Fai. Once he moves and tries to evade, the letters follow him and it explodes and yet for some reason, he could still find some way to make it explode without hitting him at all.

"Why can't I hit you?!" Primera whined as a she glared at Fai who landed at the edge of the roof of the Hanshin palace.

"If I let you hit me, it might hurt." He said with a kind smile. Primera was obviously pissed and she held her microphone tightly in her hand.

Syaoran on the other hand was there on the ground and his head was turning around as if he was looking for something.

"What the hell are you planning?" Kurogane asked.

"We have to get there on top and find a way to get Mokona and Masayoshi-kun down! Also, Fai-san…"

"You can leave him alone. He'll be fine." Kurogane replied roughly at him.

Meine set her attention on Fai who looked like as if he was just playing, without a single scratch on his clothes. Primera had both her hands on her microphone as she screamed her next sentence at Fai.

"_Tonari no gaki wa yoku kyaku kuu gaki da_! (Lit. meaning: The brat next door eats a lot of guests. It's supposed to be _Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da. _Lit. meaning: The guest next door eats a lot of persimmon.)" The letters this time went to various directions but their only target is the blond mage. He jumped off of the roof and once again used his kudan to fly even higher and evade her attacks.

Primera said another tongue twister into her mike and once again said it wrong. But it didn't matter, as long as you say something, letters will definitely come out of her kudan. "_Nama-mugi, nama-gomi, nama-tamago!_ (Lit. meaning: Raw barley, raw garbage, raw egg. The real one is: _Nama-mugi, nama-gome, nama-tamago._ Lit. meaning: Raw barley, raw rice, raw egg.)

Even though the letters keep on coming in every direction, Fai easily evaded it with ease.

Primera won't give up and continued to barrage Fai with tongue twisters. "_Aka maki-gami, ao maki-gami, ki maki-maki! _(Lit. meaning: Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled rolled. Originally: _Aka maki-gami, ao maki-gami, ki maki-gami. _Lit. meaning: Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper.)

The fight was getting boring. All Fai was doing was evading and he wasn't even fighting back.

"I tried to use my kudan last night to practice and I found something out. Even if your kudan has the ability to fly, your muscles remain the same as they were before."

"You mean he's using his own ability to dodge all those attacks as if he's as light as paper?" Syaoran asked with shock spread across his face.

"Ah." Kurogane said. "Look at that damn grin. That man is a combat veteran!"

"Although he looks weak, he's very used to fighting." Meine said as she looked up.

"Aren't you guys surprised?" the ninja asked.

"Not really…" Meine whispered under her breath and looked away.

"There's a clue in the casual way Fai-san carries himself, and the look in his eyes just gives you that impression." Syaoran said.

"He's not as dumb as he looks…" Meine whispered to Kurogane. He nodded in agreement.

"But I want to help him somehow!" he said.

Kurogane sighed. "I'm right about him being a naïve kid."

All Meine could do was sigh as well as she watched the fight continue.

"You forced me into it! It's time for a change!" Primera said. Her mike extended and a stand appeared. "When my kudan becomes a mike stand, there's no running away!"

"ALL MY FANS LOVE ME!!!" All the letters were bigger and faster this time that Fai was caught off guard. "Yeah!!!" The explosion was bigger than any of Primera's past letters. Fai wasn't able to evade the large explosion and he fell on top of a tree.

"Fai-san!" Syaoran screamed for his companion and ran towards the tree. Meine and Kurogane just stood at their original spots and didn't even move an inch.

"I'm alright!" His hand came out from the leaves and he there he stood. "I didn't expect it to change form. And those letters sure do come after you!"

Fai's expression suddenly became serious as if he was finally going to stop playing with the poor girl and her kudan. "Since this girl is fighting with her kudan and Mokona isn't reacting, it must mean that this girl isn't the one with the feather.

Primera then started to laugh. "Well? Do you surrender?"

"If I did, what would happen next?" Fai asked.

"Then it's your little friend "Syaoran's" turn to lose!" she said with a small huff.

"We can't have that… Syaoran-kun has some important business to see , I want to end this battle myself."

"In that case… THEN YOU HAVE TO BEAT ME FIRST!" the letters rushed to Fai but he didn't even try to evade it. Instead, when the letters where only a few meters away, he jumped on top of it and swiftly moved on top of the letters.

Even Primera wasn't expecting that to happen when Fai easily reached her and pushed her down the roof.

"I don't want to cause injury to such a beautiful young lady. Won't you stop?" he asked in a kind voice but Meine could swear she heard a threat in his tone. For some reason, she felt pissed and annoyed all of a sudden.

Primera started to tear up and didn't notice that she scream into her mike. "This is so not fair!" The letters hit the part of the roof where Masayoshi and Mokona were and it exploded, causing the rope to burn and the two captives to fall.

"WATCH OUT!" Syaoran shouted. Masayoshi's kudan appeared and tried to pull his master from falling. A familiar manta ray-shaped kudan appeared to save the two and slowly set them on the roof.

"What do you think you're doing, Primera?"

"Shougo-kun!" Primera said.

Mokona's eyes went open and Meine also felt a huge wave of energy buit she didn't know where it was. The only kudan she could see were Masayoshi's kudan and Shougo's kudan.

Meine tried to pinpoint the direction of the huge wave of power but she couldn't find it at all. Fai landed on the ground beside her but didn't seem to notice her agitation. She didn't even mind her surroundings for a moment and concentrated.

"Syaoran-kun." she called.

Syaoran turned around to look at Meine. But before she could say what she was going to say, Mokona called for Syaoran.

Mokona was bouncing up and down with its eyes open and it kept waving its arms. "The feather! The feather is close by!"

"Where?!" Syaoran said, his eyes opening wide. "Where is it!"

"The location is unknown but the feather is definitely in this area." Meine said as she looked around.

Syaoran looked at her with equally huge eyes like before. "You can feel its presence?"

Meine just nodded. "I think it's inside a kudan."

"So some kudan has taken it inside itself?" Fai asked.

"But the presence gets stronger but it weakens all of a sudden." Meine explained.

"What does that mean?" Kurogane asked as he placed the magazine that one of Primera's fans gave him under his arm.

"Sorata-san said that the kudan protect their owners. So probably, the time that it pulls out its greatest strength is when it's protecting its owner."

Fai smiled. "And that means… The only way to find the feather is through battle!"

The leader of the group wearing goggles yesterday stood at the opposite of where they were standing. "I'm sorry that my words caused unexpected trouble for you…Syaoran. But I meant what I said yesterday that I like you! You are strong, not with your fist but here." – He pointed at his chest. 'So I want to fight you, with our kudans."

"Shougo, you stupid kudan-battle maniac!!!" Primera screamed.

"I understand." A flame started to appear in front if Syaoran's foot before his flame kudan materialized beside him. "I accept this challenge!"

Shougo grinned and pulled down his goggles to cover his eyes. "You guys stay out of this." he told his team and they took the liberty to place bets on who will win the battle.

"Ready…" Shougo said, their kudans opening its mouths and gathering power… "GO!!" Each kudan let out a powerful blast of their power and it exploded when they met because the power was so great. That explosion caused some of the rubble from the collapsing Hanshin Palace to drop down on Syaoran.

"WATCH OUT!" Masayoshi shouted as a huge piece of the building was heading for Syaoran's direction. Syaoran jumped high into the air and split the boulder in half with only one kick. He then landed on the ground below where Primera's fans that have now run away used to be staying.

"He's pretty cool, Syaoran-kun." Fai said as he leaned forward to look at the boy closer. The three of them were now standing at the edge of the platform.

"So he's more than just a pliable fool." Kurogane grunted. "He seemed to know that you're not just a silly person."

Fai smiled. "It seems like he's not just a child with an interest for archeology… He's still very young, but I can say that he's been through a lot.

"Meine-san, Mokona!" Syaoran called. "Can you feel the feather's presence?"

Meine shook her head. "I can feel it but it's not that powerful that you can pinpoint its location." Mokona kept bouncing as she spoke and it was nodding its head.

Syaoran stretched his hand in front of his and a huge blast of fire came out of his fist and it caught Shougo off guard. He held out his own hand and his kudan let out a blast of water but it was too late…

Shougo and his kudan were blown away by the power of the blast. Before he even hit something, his kudan caught him and set him back on the ground. "Wow. That was the first time that I flew that far…"

"SHOUGO-KUN!" Primera screamed, her eyes full of tears.

"I'm fine, so stop screaming my name!" he shouted back at her. He smiled at Syaoran and acted cool, even though he was already dripping wet because of his kudan. "You sure are strong. Kudan are controlled by the heart, what is it that makes yours so strong?"

"There is something that I must see through." he replied.

Shougo smirked and he warned everyone to get out of the way before his kudan opened its mouth and let out the biggest wave of water that swallowed the ground where Syaoran stood.

"SYAORAN-KUN!" Masayoshi shouted. He was panicking while Syaoran's companions just stood there silently and watched.

"Syaoran is right there." Mokona said and pointed at the water. The water was starting to evaporate fast and then there was Syaoran surrounded by his kudan who shaped itself into a ball to protect its owner. He stood up and his kudan returned to its original form beside him.

More rubble from the Hanshin Palace started to collapse only this time it wasn't falling on the ground, it was about to hit the part of the roof where Primera, Mokona, and Masayoshi were. Primera screamed and for some reason Masayoshi didn't back away. Instead, he used his own body to protect Primera and Mokona.

Meine watched with huge eyes as she slowly felt the wave of the feather get stronger and stronger as Masayoshi's kudan grew and grew until it stood twice as tall as the Hanshin Palace.

"The feather…" Meine said as she stared at the huge kudan. Mokona also felt it as it opened its eyes.

"The feather! The feather is in that kudan!!"

"The feather is in that kudan?" Kurogane asked in disbelief. "_That_ kudan?!"

"That's why Mokona or Meine-chan couldn't find it when the kudan was searching for people, because it was at its strongest when protecting its master." Fai thought aloud.

Masayoshi's kudan had gone berserk and started blasting at random directions while holding its owner on its hand.

Meine, Fai, and Kurogane used their kudans to bring them near Syaoran.

"What the hell is wrong with that kudan?" Kurogane asked.

"The feather's power is so strong that Masayoshi-kun can't control it anymore." Meine explained.

"What are you going to do now?" the ninja grunted.

"I'm going to get Sakura's feather back." Syaoran said and walked towards the direction of the berserk kudan.

"How do you intend to fight something that big?"

"One slip and you're dead." Meine warned.

"I won't die!" Syaoran said, turning around to look at them. "I still have something to do, so I can't die yet."

Fai sighed and smiled. "You can count on Kuro-pi to handle things here. You go ahead and do what you must."

Syaoran smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later then." And with that, he jumped together with his kudan and flew towards the feather.

"Syaoran-kun has strength in a lot of different ways." Fai whispered. All Meine could do was nod. "I think I get the feeling why the flame kudan came to him."

The kudan's chest started sparkling and Syaoran could be seen standing on top of a lamp post with his flame kudan on his side. His kudan started to envelop him and from afar he looks like he was burning. All of a sudden, he jumped high and punched the chest of the kudan where it was sparkling.

The kudan's chest caught on fire. Even though Syaoran was surrounded by fire and was being burnt, he wasn't making a single sound. He pushed on forward to the center where the feather was. With the consent of Masayoshi, the fire that Syaoran was controlling got bigger and he pused until he grabbed that source of sparkling.

As soon as the source of power was pulled out of it, Masayoshi's kudan returned to its former state. The flame left Syaoran and moved quickly to catch Masayoshi from hitting the ground. Even though he was covered in ash and slight burns, Syaoran smiled and kept the feather tightly against his chest.

Shougo's kudan flew above them and brought down rain to stop some of the burning rubble. "The least I could do…" he said. "…is keep this place from catching on fire."

The three of them walked towards Syaoran, who stood up slowly and had a big triumphant smile on his face. "Let's go home!" he said with a huge smile.

This time they ran all the way back to the apartment. Syaoran was practically jumping as he did a sharp turn to enter the building, pausing to announce to Sorata and Arashi who stood outside that he had found the feather.

He hurriedly ran to the floor where Sakura was sleeping and threw off his shoes. The other three were not far behind and watched the feather enter Sakura's chest. After a few minutes, she oened her eyes and revealed emerald green orbs behind those closed lids.

"Sakura!!" Syaoran said when she opened her eyes, his hand tightly holding hers.

She looked at him with eyes that seemed to be in a daze. "Who are you?" she asked.

The three of them watched as Syaoran froze for a moment and set her hand back down on the bed. He looked like he was about to cry but he smiled warmly at the girl.

"I'm called Syaoran… and you… are her highness, Princess Sakura." he said. He helped the girl sit up. "If you'd be so kind to listen, I will explain. You are a princess from another world."

Sakura didn't have any emotion in her voice or on her face. "Another…world?"

Syaoran nodded. "At the moment, you've lost your memory. It's in order to find your memories that you're travelling between worlds."

"By myself?" she asked.

"No… You have travelling companions."

"Are you one of those…?"

"Yes." He said with a smile.

"You're doing this for a total stranger?"

Meine could swear that she saw Syaoran about to cry. He forced a smile on his lips. "I am."

Fai decided that it was time to finally give Syaoran a break and he entered the room. "Princess Sakura, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Fai D. Fluorite at your service." His hand lightly touched Syaoran's shoulder and finally let him leave the room.

Meine stepped forward and took a seat beside the princess' bed. "I am Meine Liebe von Kreautz, princess of the country of Rosette. It is nice to meet you." She smiled at warmly at the girl who looked at her with her eyes in a daze.

Sakura looked at Kurogane and he just grunted. "I'm Kurogane."

Fai took the little white creature on his shoulder and handed it to Sakura. "And this cute, fluffy one is…"

"Mokona Modoki!" Mokona said, raising a hand. "You can call me Mokona!"

Syaoran took this opportunity to leave the room. There he stood in the street, letting the rain wash away his tears.

The three of them had decided to leave Sakura in Mokona's watch and they left the room to go back to their own, Meine going with them and sitting on the ledge of the men's window.

"At that moment, I was sure he would cry." Fai said in a soft voice. "It seems that Sakura-chan is the most important person in the world to Syaoran-kun. So when she said "Who are you?" I felt certain he would cry."

"I wonder if he's crying now…" Meine said, almost a whisper as they watched Syaoran with his shoulders hunched and his kudan out and circling him.

Kurogane folded his arms against his chest. "If he wants to keep on crying, he'll just have to get stronger. Strong enough so he won't be crying in the end."

"Yes, but I think there's a certain strength that's needed to be able to cry when you should." Meine muttered.

She stared outside the window and noticed that their kudans were now there with Syaoran, protecting him from the rain.

* * *

It was the day of their departure for another world where they could find another fragment of Sakura's memory. The five of them stood in front of the apartment building, wearing the clothes that they originally wore when they were in Yuuko's shop. Sorata and his wife Arashi stood in front of them.

"So you're leaving?" he asked in a sad tone. "You never even got a chance to taste the collaboration cooking of my honey and I!"

Sakura stood there in the middle and her eyes were half closed. Meine approached her and held her hand. "Are you alright?" Meine asked.

Sakura nodded and rubbed her eye with her hand. "I'm just a little sleepy."

Meine noticed that Syaoran was looking at Sakura when Kurogane approached him. "Don't look down now! If you have something you must do, you must keep looking forward."

Syaoran nodded.

Mokona opened its large wings and a magic circle appearing underneath it.

"Thank you very much." Syaoran said as the wind started to make a wall around them.

Arashi smiled. "I hope that you will find Sakura's feathers in the next world."

A powerful vacuum inside Mokona's mouth sucked them inside the little creature and burped before folding its wings a moving on to another dimension.

As Meine and the rest of them were travelling between dimensions, she looked back and saw her kudan standing at the end of the opening. The tall hooded cape bowed before Meine even got to say goodbye.

She shook away the thought and looked forward to see the next world they were going to go to next.

**_-chapter owari-_**

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**heyzelle:** again, if you noticed some changes, I have edited this chapter. Well, I mostly just added the lines since it wasn't there earlier... SUPPORT MEINE'S EXISTENCE!!!

please read and review!

_regular disclaimers apply._


	3. III: Outo Country

**heyzelle:** hello everyone. sorry it took so long for chap 3 to be uploaded. I was kind of busy this week because of all the activities and other stuff.

anyway, please ignore my review the other day :). i got pissed and said some stuff that I really wasn't supposed to say. I had a little bit too much coffee that day, so i was hyper. please be reminded that you can right reviews in anyway that you want it to be, either it be bad or good. Sorry.

**Meine-chan09: **I'm quite stubborn so I'm not gonna apologize for the things I've said to that pea-brain. It's not my fault that her pea-sized brain can't see all the effort we gave into creating this fic. Oh and I would like to thank those people who read this fic upon my request! I love you guys! (^__~)V

**Note: **We skipped some dimensions because we can't possibly create a fic with each chapter . please give us your understanding.

**_regular disclaimers apply_**

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**III: Land of Outo/Edonis Country**

After traveling on several different worlds, meeting new people, and acquiring Sakura's feathers; Kurogane, Fai, Mokona, Meine, Syaoran and Sakura has forged an unbreakable bond between them allowing themselves to enjoy every bit of their journey with their comrades.

It was another normal day in the Land of Outo until a white creature appeared above the sky and dropped five humans unto the ground. Meine blushed when she found herself in the position on top of the smiling blond mage. She was sitting on his lap with her hands and head leaning against his chest. She immediately straightened herself up and dusted her skirt.

"Now, what country have we come into this time?" Fai asked aloud as he stood up.

Suddenly four women wearing identical outfits stepped forward to them. "Welcome to the Land of Outo!" they said in unison. They screamed and ran towards the travelers and pulled all each one of them into their arms.

"Hyuu~! There are beautiful girls everywhere!" Fai said as one girl fawned over him. Meine suppressed the weird feeling of wanting to snap the girl's neck and tried to free herself instead from the woman who was hugging (more like smothering) her and Sakura.

"Look at all the costumes everyone is wearing!" commented the woman hugging Kurogane. "You must have come from a different world, didn't you?"

The five of them looked at the woman who spoke with wide eyes. The lady hugging Syaoran prevented him from speaking because he was hugging him too tight in her arms. "You haven't registered yet, have you?"

They all shook their heads and the women all had worried faces. "Oh dear, you have to go to the city hall immediately! We will take you there!"

Without another word, the four women dragged them to the middle of the city and into a building with the label: "Country of Outo: Central City Hall."

There, a kind lady behind the counter labeled "Express Assessment" helped them. Meine took the liberty of not bothering and went to sit down beside Kurogane and Sakura, who had her head leaning against Meine's shoulder as she was slowly dozing off to sleep.

"Kuro-woof-woof! Please bring the bag!" Fai said loudly over his shoulder to the man clad in black beside Meine.

Kurogane stood up and grabbed the sack beside him. "QUIT CALLING ME LIKE I'M SOME KIND OF DOG!" he screamed. It was so loud that some people around them started staring and Sakura who was peacefully sleeping beside Meine jumped awake.

* * *

The five of them were given the address of the house they were going to stay in. It was big and had a big room in front while there were several smaller rooms at the upper floor. But for the night, they were going to sleep at the main room in front, since the smaller rooms were still dirty.

"I'm glad we bought the clothes we wore when we were in the other worlds." Fai said as he laid out his fluffy white coat on the floor.

Just as the four of them were starting to loosen up a bit and relax, Kurogane suddenly dropped a bomb on them. "Maybe you guys shouldn't get to cozy. It's possible that we are being watched."

Fai ignored him and offered Meine that they could both sleep inside his warm and comfy coat for the evening. Not wanting to freeze to death, she gladly took the offer and lay down on the space beside Fai, their faces merely inches from each other and Meine turned around so that she was facing away from him.

Syaoran smiled and leaned against the sofa where Sakura was sleeping already in. "Now that we have found a nice place to stay, next is we have to find the princess's feather."

Mokona nodded and it emitted a faint yellowish glow before it bounced to rest on the armrest of the sofa. "It's very slight, but Mokona senses the power of Sakura's feather.

After a few more minutes of discussing a few things of what to do tomorrow, the five of them (including Mokona) then fell asleep.

Meine slept lightly that night, mainly because of the man who was spooning her from behind, but she couldn't ignore that she was very warm inside his coat and she was very comfortable, except of course of the feel of someone breathing on her neck.

It was a few hours later when Meine felt something shift just outside the house and she noticed the streetlight flicker.

"Are you awake?" Kurogane asked softly.

"Yes." Syaoran replied.

"Something doesn't feel right." Meine whispered as she turned to face Fai, ignoring the blush growing in her face as she noticed that his lips touched her nose. She watched a smile appeared on his features and his eyes opened slightly. "There's something outside."

The lights flickered once again and a creature with a weird aura appeared and broke through the glass windows. It was big, black and had big red eyes. The four of them jumped out of the way and evaded the flying shards of glass, Kurogane grabbing the sleeping princess who woke up from the noise and Meine grabbing Mokona.

"We just moved in and already we have guests!" Fai said as they set the princess on her feet far away from the monster and assigned Meine to protect her.

Syaoran, the one nearest the monster was attacked and he got a cut on his right arm. Sakura screamed his name and held to Meine's sleeve. In the end, to avoid getting hurt any more, he jumped high into the air and landed a kick on the center of the monster's head and it disappeared.

"I thought that this was quite a peaceful world, but it has dangerous points too." Fai whispered as they watched the monster disappear.

Meine woke up the next morning on top of a bed inside one of the rooms in the second floor of the house. How she got there, she didn't know. She must have fallen asleep one way or another after the fight because the last thing she remembered was that she was standing behind the men with Sakura behind her and they were watching the monster disappear.

* * *

She slowly got up of bed and noticed that her hair was down and the ribbon that held her hair up was on the table beside the bed. She ignored it and went down to the first floor and found the three men working in the big room. The glass window that was broken by that monster last night was fixed, there were several round tables in the room, and they were wearing new clothes. Sakura was also there in the room but she was still asleep on top of the sofa.

"Good morning, Meine-chan!" Fai said with a smile as he stood by the wooden counter.

"How'd I get up there?" She asked as she took a seat on one of the high chairs and scratched her head. "I don't remember ever going up to that room to sleep."

"Kuro-pyon brought you up there after you passed out last night due to fatigue." Fai explained. "The oni we killed last night had a reward and it was more than enough that we bought clothes and we found jobs."

"Jobs…?"

The blond mage nodded. "Yes, jobs. Kuro-sama and Syaoran-kun are going to be oni hunters while you, me, Sakura-chan and Mokona will be running a café here. And I will assign you as my own personal assistant!"

"Basically, you're telling me that I am going to work as a waitress." Meine asked. Fai nodded with a smile.

Just then, Sakura slowly stirred awake and sat up. Fai once again explained what had happened last night and explained the clothes that they were wearing. Sakura just sat there listening to their explanation and stood up to fold her own sheets.

"I was wondering if Sakura-chan, would work the café with me." Fai requested.

"Yes, it would be my honor." Sakura replied, bowing slightly.

The two ladies get pushed inside two separate rooms in the second floor and were each handed a set of clothes to change into. Meine sat there staring at the outfit given to her and gave a long sigh before changing into it.

A few minutes later, she heard the door in the other room; where Sakura was open and heard slow footsteps on the stairs and she decided that she couldn't hide what she was wearing any longer. As soon as she heard voices in the main room, she went down the stairs.

She peeked out a little and saw Sakura wearing clothes similar to what Kurogane was wearing but it was fit for girls. She suddenly felt pissed at why the stupid mage picked this for her to wear as a waitress.

She stepped out of her hiding place and the rest of them in the main room froze and stared at her. Meine couldn't hide the blush in her cheeks. She wore an off shoulder black dress (with a corset) that covered ¾ of her thighs. The hem of the dress was trimmed with lace and it had several petticoats underneath to make the skirt pop up a little. Black, knee-high socks and black platform heels are what she used for footwear. She also wore a white apron that you tie around the waist and a black choker. She also had a lace ribbon tied to her hair to serve as a headband.

Fai whistled, Syaoran and Sakura gaped at her with their mouths in an "O" shape and Kurogane was blushing and looking away.

"Why the hell did you choose this as my uniform?" Meine asked glaring at Fai. She was no longer embarrassed by what she was wearing but rather she was pissed at the stupid look that the blond man was giving him.

He raised his arms up in defeat when Meine grab hold of his collar. "It was the only one left that the guy in the shop could sell to us so I took it. You look beautiful, Meine-chan."

Meine shoved Fai away as she tried to hide the blush and she sat with a huff on one of the high chairs. She then tried to ignore Fai when he walked towards her but she blushed when she noticed that he had just tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

Suddenly, Mokona's eyes opened. It opened its mouth and a plate with six pieces of brown, mountain-shaped food appeared and it landed on the table.

"What's this?" Fai asked. Meine jumped out of her seat when she sniffed the air as she recognized the familiar scent of something sweet.

"It's from Yuuko!" Mokona said, like the rest of the ladies, it was also wearing an apron around itself. "It's called chocolate fondant! You eat it while it's hot!"

As soon as Meine heard the world chocolate, she eagerly took a seat in front of a table beside Kurogane. As soon as a piece and some tea were served in front of her, she immediately took a bite. Its hot creamy center really satisfied Meine's love for sweets as she craved for more than just one serving. Watching the sweet lover eat her share, the others just couldn't wait to have a taste of their own share since it seemed really delicious when Meine was eating it.

* * *

Syaoran and Kurogane then left when the sun set to hunt for more oni and earn more cash for them to spend. Meine, Sakura, Fai, and Mokona were then left alone back in the café to prepare for their grand opening tomorrow. Fai and Mokona were making the sign while Sakura and Meine were folding lots of napkins.

They were having a quiet and peaceful time and the only sounds they were hearing was the meowing of Fai and Mokona.

Meine was enjoying her time until she felt the murderous aura of a familiar person stomping towards the front door. A few seconds later, the door flew open and Kurogane entered the room with a very angry look.

"YOU BASTARD!" he screamed at Fai as he stomped towards him. The mage just sat there on the floor grinning at the taller man, which pissed Kurogane even more.

"You little…" he growled. "You went and gave us weird names, didn't you?"

"The girl at the city hall told me that we could use aliases, but I don't know the writing system here…" Fai took a piece of paper that were scattered on the floor to prevent the paint from staining the tiles and took a brush and swiftly drew a picture of two dogs, one bigger than the other. He then showed the drawing to the two hunters. "So I drew this!"

"Kuro-pon's name is Big Puppy, while Syaoran-kun's name is Little Puppy."

He then took another piece of paper and continued drawing two animals on the paper and another one of a different kind on another piece and held it out to show them when he finished. "Sakura-chan and my name are Little Kitten and Big Kitten respectively." he said as he held the piece of paper with two cats drawn on them. "Meine-chan's name is Usagi-san!"

Meine, who didn't bother to stand up from her seat, looked up from the napkin she was folding. "Wait…Usagi-san?"

Fai smiled and nodded. "Because of that, since me and Sakura-chan are kittens and you are the bunny… I decided to draw this as a sign!" He then picked up from the floor the wooden sideboard he was working on. On it was a picture of a black cat's head with yellow eyes…beside it was a drawing of a small rabbit head right beside the picture of the cat.

Meine noticed that Kurogane was fuming and she froze when she heard the click of the unsheathing of his sword. "Please calm down, Kurogane-san." She whispered to him since he was standing so near. "We don't want any casualties here now…"

He glared at her before he resumed on glaring at the mage. "I'm going to knock those retarded thoughts out of your stupid head!" he threatened and pulled out his entire sword and ran after the mage who was just skipping as he evaded the sword.

The door opened slowly and a man and a girl wearing a school uniform entered with a large gray dog beside her. "Excuse me?" she called in a loud voice and the two of them entered the house. "What a pretty house you have, Little Puppy-san!"

Meine couldn't sustain the giggle as she heard Syaoran's alias. The girl noticed her and smiled. "Hello!" she said. "My name is Nekoi Yuzuriha, and this dog's name is Inuki!" she gently rubbed the ear of the gray dog. "My partner's name is Shiyu Kusanagi." She pointed at the tall man with the square-shaped jaw.

"Nice to meet you…" Meine said and stood up from her seat. "My name is Me—… Usagi-san…"

Meine just stood there watching Sakura, Syaoran, Yuzuriha, and Kusanagi talk with each other and Kurogane running after Fai who was flitting around the room. She caught Mokona with both her hands when it bounced its way towards her.

"Meine!" Mokona said as she bounced off her hands and unto her shoulder. "You seem awfully quiet. What's wrong?"

She placed a hand on Mokona and pulled it towards her face to feel the warmth of its furry body. "Something just feels weird… It's like something bad is going to happen…" she whispered to the creature.

"Something smells delicious." Kusanagi said with a smile.

Fai leaned back to evade the swing of Kurogane's sharp blade. "It's a chocolate cake that we're experimenting with. We open the shop tomorrow, but if you like you could try it now."

"We'd love to!" Yuzuriha and Kusanagi replied with huge smiles and proceeded to sit down on the high chairs beside the wooden counter.

As soon as Meine heard the words "chocolate cake," her eyes turned as wide as saucers and she looked at Fai. He wasn't running anymore when Kurogane stopped chasing him and returned his sword back in its sheath.

Fai instructed Meine and Sakura to help serve the guests for practice. Much to Meine's dismay, she was assigned to prepare and bring the cups of tea together with Sakura. When she noticed that the poor little princess was shaking as she walked towards the customers with the tray that was holding the tea, she immediately stopped her for a minute and took one from her tray and served it to Kusanagi, leaving the other for her to serve to Yuzuriha.

"Thank you." Kusanagi said when Meine set the cup on the table. She backed away, hugged the round tray and bowed, just like Fai had taught them earlier that day.

"Please enjoy." She said with a pleasant smile before walking away to sit on the empty seat next to Syaoran who was also sitting two seats away from the other two hunters. She stared at their plates with huge eyes and a small pout on her lips as she watched Yuzuriha take a bite from the chocolate fondant with cream on the side.

"It's delicious!" Yuzuriha said animatedly.

"I'm glad you liked it. I took Mokona's advice and poured fresh cream." Fai explained with a laid back smile as he watched the customers enjoy his cooking.

He seemed to have noticed Meine staring at the chocolate and he leaned on the counter in front of her. "I'll give you a slice later, if you promise to do a good job as a waitress." he whispered to her.

Meine looked at Fai with thankful eyes and nodded. When she saw him laugh a little at her expression, she gave a small cough and looked away to hide the fact that her face was flushed because of embarrassment.

It turned out that Kusanagi and Yuzuriha were oni hunters and they were kind enough to explain the different rankings of the oni. Meine was too busy folding the other napkins and that was left on one of the round table in the middle of the room and was barely listening to the explanation when she heard Inuki whine and when she felt the familiar shifting when the oni appeared in front of their house.

"It looks that some oni has appeared nearby." Yuzuriha said and she and her partner stood up from her seats.

"How much?" Kusanagi asked, taking out a cherry blossom shaped badge the size of Meine's palm.

Fai smiled. "Consider it as a service. Just please tell everyone about us."

The man smiled back and nodded. "We'll make sure you get business."

"Thank you, please come again!" Meine said as they left.

Meine then jumped on the high chair and looked at Fai with a huge smile in excitement. She was literally jumping on her seat as she waited for Fai as he poured the fresh cream on the side. "Here you go, but I won't be able to give you seconds."

"Okay…" Meine whispered and she decided to eat the cake little by little.

She slept peacefully that night after watching their puppy combo/oni hunters do their job and kill all the monsters outside their house.

* * *

Meine woke up earlier the next day just before the sun was rising and she was able to watch the rising of it in the window inside her assigned bedroom. She changed into her waitress uniform and walked down the stairs to see Fai already behind the counter and preparing something.

"Good morning, Meine-chan." he said with a smile.

"G-good morning." she replied. "You're up early."

He just smiled at her and proceeded on fixing something behind the counter. "Can you please check if the boys are awake and you can tell them that they can eat breakfast already?"

Without another word, Meine nodded and went back the stairs. She knocked on Syaoran's door and told him that breakfast is ready. She moved a few feet to knock on Kurogane's door. As her hand was about to touch the door, Kurogane's voice sounded from inside the room.

"Come in." he said.

Meine hesitated a little before opening the door and spotted Kurogane sitting on the bed with his back facing the door and he was already wearing his hakama. His sword was on the bed beside him. His voice was soft unlike the other times when he told Meine to sit.

She sat on the bed and she was sitting back to back with the older man. "Is something wrong?"

Kurogane shifted and the bed shook a little. "Something feels wrong about this country. Have you noticed?"

"Yes…" she whispered.

"I suggest you be on alert." Kurogane said and started to stand up from the bed. Meine nodded and followed Kurogane down the stairs. Syaoran was already there in front of his share waiting patiently for the other two to come down the stairs.

Kurogane was then force fed by Fai because he refused to eat the pastries that he had prepared while the Meine and Mokona were preparing the tea behind the counter.

The puppy combo left right after eating breakfast, leaving the two of them behind to clean up. Meine took the dirty dishes and washed them well with soap while Fai was the one who dried them. They really didn't have a conversation, other than the occasional smiles that Fai makes when their eyes meet.

After washing, Meine then took the broom from the cabinet and swept the dust away from inside the room. She didn't bother Fai who was once again baking something in the oven and mixing stuff.

She then heard the frantic footsteps of Sakura upstairs. She came in through the door on the back and she had a small bump on her head. "Good morning! I'm sorry I overslept."

Fai smiled back and also called Meine towards the counter and he poured four cups of tea for them to drink. "It's alright! We still haven't set the exact time when the shop opens. Besides, you still aren't on 100% yet, Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled and looked around the room. "Where are Mokona, Syaoran-kun, and Kurogane-san?"

"They went to the city hall a few hours ago." Meine said, taking a seat beside the one Sakura sat on.

The blonde mage nodded and was preparing something on two trays. "There was another oni attack last night so they went there to get their reward."

The young princess looked at Fai and Meine worriedly with her emerald eyes. "Last night? Did somebody get hurt again?"

"Syaoran did but he's fine." The other princess shrugged. "It's just a scratch."

"Does that worry you?" Fai asked.

Sakura nodded. "Syaoran-kun is working very hard to get all of my memories back, and yet I can't do anything… Also sometimes Syaoran-kun looks so very lonely."

Meine drowned out all of the stuff out, because if she heard more she might remember Akemi again. Fortunately, Fai had served them pastries for breakfast so it wasn't as hard as she thought. She happily dug in the bagel with bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese and sipped some of that hot chocolate inside the mug in her tray.

As she sipped some of that delicious hot chocolate, she remembered a memory from before when she was just a little girl and she would get wounded during combat training. Akemi would always make her hot chocolate to cheer her up. Of course she would be given at least three mugs until she would stop pouting.

"Meine-chan… Meine-chan?" Fai called, waving a hand on her face to get her attention as she noticed that she was staring at the hot chocolate in her mug. "Is something wrong?"

Meine shook her head and set her mug down. "No, it's nothing." She took her half eaten sandwich and wrapped them in paper before standing up to wash her soiled utensils.

* * *

Later that night Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona were left back in the café so that Kurogane, Fai, and Meine were going to get more information about the new kind of oni that has appeared. It only opened at 6 in the evening and since Fai didn't want Meine to be left behind because he doubted her control of her sweet tooth, they decided to let her tag along on their little walk.

Meine wore regular clothes other than the waitress uniform that was given to her. She wore a knee-length purple satin dress with a matching purple ribbon to tie her hair up and a black jacket.

"I wonder if we've got customers tonight…" Fai thought out loud. Kurogane was stomping angrily in front of them. "Are you still angry?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Meine sighed as she listened to the two men arguing.

"Ah!" Fai exclaimed.

Kurogane immediately turned around only to get his cheek touched by Fai's finger. Kurogane pulled his sword half way out its sheath when Fai once again said "ah!"

"It's not going to work this time!" he growled.

Meine watched as the darts that flew out of Fai's hand hit three onis on the head. Even Kurogane was shocked at first.

"This time, it's the real thing." Fai said with a smile as more darts appeared on his hand.

The three of them stood back to back against each other as the onis once again regenerated and surrounded them. Meine didn't bother pulling out the dagger that was hooked on her belt and instead her hand instinctively raised itself in the "knife hand" position (the position of the hand when you do a karate chop, I'm not sure about this though). She didn't make her nails grow into sharp like talons since she knew that the others didn't exactly know that she was a vampire.

"Ugh." Meine muttered under her breath as she stood up straight.

"These onis are too much of a pin one-on-one, so just come at me all at once!" Kurogane said, pulling out his sword.

The oni lunged for them and the three of them jumped. Meine used her hands to hit an oni and it disappeared once again just like what had happened the first time. Fai on the other hand was only avoiding the attacks.

"Don't just try to avoid them! Take them down!" Kurogane orders as he sliced an oni in half. Meine also kicked the head of an oni similar to what Syaoran had done before.

"If I do that, the oni will just come back!" Fai said.

"Fight back!" Kurogane shouted.

"But I don't have any more weapons!" Fai replied with a smile as he jumped to evade an attack and landed on top of a tall lamppost. The eyes of the oni behind Fai started to glow and Meine froze.

"Fai-san!" she shouted and she jumped up to push him away when her right arm got hit by the laser beam that shot out of the oni's eyes. By the time they got on the ground was she only able to notice that she was missing her right sleeve and her arm was bleeding that the blood dripped down on the ground.

Meine's eyes turned gold and her pupils turned into slits as she caught a whiff of her own blood. To satisfy her hunger for blood that she hadn't been able to drink in so long, she licked her fingers when some of her blood had started flowing out of her injury. It wasn't as good as other people's blood but it was good enough to satisfy her hunger for the mean time.

"Damn it…" she whispered to herself. "I don't heal fast anymore."

"Meine-chan…" Fai whispered for her name and reached for her slowly. He didn't seem to be his usual self until another oni started to lunch for them, he suddenly carried the injured Meine in his arms and jumped out of the way and let Kurogane take care of the rest. He set Meine on her feet as soon as they were in a safe spot.

"Stay there." he ordered in a tone that she has never heard before, ever, that Meine was stunned for a moment before she was actually able to move. She took out the dagger she had hidden and held it with her left hand and held it like a tonfa.

Fai spotted her and he clicked his tongue. With him being distracted, he was unable to see an oni swing its arm to attack him. Luckily he was just in time to evade a fatal blow and he just got scratched and he fell to the ground. Meine immediately ran towards him.

In the end, Kurogane was the only one left standing and able to fight that he stood in front of the two injured companions and he was forced to use a sword technique.

"_Chi-Ryuu-Jin-En-Bu!_ (lit. meaning: Earth Dragon Circular Attack Dance)" he said and all the onis around them disappeared, but sadly his sword also broke into tiny little pieces beyond repair.

"I knew this sword was too cheap for that technique." he said.

Fai was still different from usual as he reached for Meine. She turned around to look at him.

"Why?" he asked. His blue eyes were filled with worry as he looked at her bleeding arm.

Meine kneeled down beside him and shrugged. "I don't know why either. My body just moved on its own…"

Kurogane, the person who they seem to have forgotten grumbled and threw his sword at the ground. At that moment, Fai seemed to have returned to his usual self. "Something's weird with my leg." he said as he tried to stand up but fell back to the ground. "But I won't die from an injury this small."

Kurogane took the sheath out of his belt. "It's not that that you "won't" die. It's that you "can't" die… Am I right?" He used the sheath of his sword to hit his leg and pushed against it, making Fai wince in pain.

"In my career, if anybody comes to kill me, I kill them." He dug his sword deeper into the wound and now Fai was breathing heavily in pain. "If there is something that I am protecting and anybody wants to steal it, I'll kill them without a second thought."

Meine put a hand on top of Kurogane's to stop him. "That's enough, Kurogane-san. You're hurting him."

The ninja threw his hand back and made Meine move a few steps back. He then grabbed Meine's bleeding arm and without mercy, squeezed it and pulled her towards him.

Meine just stared right into his eyes as if she didn't feel any pain. Well, she felt something but it wasn't like she couldn't handle it. "In my country, if someone ever did this to the princess, they would be killed and have their blood sucked out of them."

"Too bad were not in your country." He growled.

She jerked her hand away and looked at Kurogane with unwavering eyes. "I'm not in a good mood right now… I may be able to kill you if I don't control myself."

"Let me see you try."

The two of them stood there face to face. Kurogane held his sheath as a replacement for his sword but Meine just stood there not even bothering to take out her dagger that she had put back in its proper place. She also did something that Kurogane didn't expect: she threw her dagger at Fai's direction which he caught.

"You asked for it." she whispered, curving a smirk on her lips.

Kurogane positioned himself, waiting for the girl to attack when he noticed that her eyes had turned to gold and her pupils were now slits. Her hands flexed as she readied her talon-like fingernails to come out. She felt the surge of power from her blood that she had just licked off her right hand and the adrenaline rush.

"Hey, hey!" called a voice. Meine averted her eyes from Kurogane and looked at a woman with dark skin and light hair. "No private fights close to our doors."

Meine pinched the bridge of her nose to calm herself down. Her bleeding arm was pulsing because of the loss of blood.

She heard Kurogane sigh and he helped Fai to stand up and brought him inside the bar where they were actually supposed to go.

"Oi, let's go!" he grunted at her before entering the bar.

Meine waited for her eyes to return to normal and she took out the handkerchief she brought and tied it at her wound as a first aid to stop the large wound in her arm from bleeding before she entered the bar.

The bar named "Clover" was crowded inside and there was a beautiful lady on top of the stage in front of everyone with a microphone in her hands.

Meine sat on the bar beside Fai who had a bag of ice placed on his ankle. He smiled at the sight of her and offered her his jacket to cover up her ruined sleeve.

The bartender named Caldina offered Meine a drink that originated from the bar called "four leaf." It had a beautiful shade of green with a four leaf clover floating on top of it for garnish.

"Is it okay to let a minor drink that?" Kurogane asked, sipping his own drink.

Meine couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Stop treating me like a kid, I've been drinking alcohol ever since I was at your age."

Before Kurogane could even say a retort, a spotlight was pointed at the woman at the stage and music started playing.

"If you want to talk to the person who has met the new type of oni, you'll have to wait a bit until this song is over." Caldina said.

The woman began singing and her voice was so beautiful that it send tingles down Meine's spine.

_"Take me away across time to the town of wind  
Grant the dream of my white flower_

__

Take me by the hand with your gentle fingers, I want you to guide me  
To a far-off place, to be by your side.

On this afternoon, though their voices could not sing clearly,  
Two lovers awake to become one,  
For the first time, they'll learn the meaning of happiness.  
Take me away...

With a painful, echoing voice,  
They sing out with all of their hearts,  
Without knowing the meaning of happiness, sleeping in darkness,

_Take me to a dream I've never seen before, far away.  
We'll go together... to the town of wind." _

When the song ended, Kurogane leaned against the counter. "It's over. Can we talk about the oni now?

Caldina prepared another four leaf cocktail and set it on the table beside Fai. "That's what they want to hear, Oruha-san."

The beautiful woman who was singing onstage smiled at them.

"Your song was beautiful." Fai said with a smile. "Is this where you always sing?"

Oruha nodded and smiled back at Fai. "Yes, it's my bar. If you buy me a drink, I'll give you the information that you need."

Meine sat there, tuning in and out at the conversation happening beside her as she drank her drink. As she was listening, she heard something that piqued her interest.

"That oni takes the shape of a human. That shape of a beautiful young man." she said. "That's all I know."

Fai nodded. "Thank you very much, Oruha-san."

The woman left after explaining and Fai waved goodbye as she left. He turned around to look at his other companions to see that both of them were already having B52 shots. Before Meine could even drink her second shot, Fai put a hand on Meine's shoulder to stop her.

"Meine-chan, if you drink any more you might not be able to reach the café." he said.

Meine used her other hand to get her shot glass and drank it. "I have high alcohol tolerance, Fai-san. I'm going to be fine."

Caldina approached them. "If you want to drink more, I can recommend some for you if you want and you can get some here."

"We'll take it!" Fai said with a huge grin.

* * *

The three of them arrived in front of the café with Fai on Kurogane's shoulder. He was unable to walk fast with the wound on his leg and Fai didn't want to take an hour on the walk back home. During their walk back to the café, Fai was the only one talking since Kurogane and Meine still refused to talk to each other. He continued on yapping about random stuff. He also kept on blabbering about how weird it is for Meine to be able to drink like an adult despite how she looks.

Outside the café, the three of them that were left behind and four customers stood. It seems that they have just defeated an oni that had attack the café again. Kusanagi and Yuzuriha were true to their word and brought two new customers with them.

"We're home!" Fai chimed when they entered through the wooden gate.

Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona gasped at the sight of Meine and Fai who were injured and had bruises all over.

"We ran into some casualties on the way to the bar." Meine explained.

All of a sudden, Kurogane froze in his tracks as he spotted one of the customers who had short, asymmetrical, black hair.

"Souma…" he called. The woman turned around at the sound of her name being called. She looked at Kurogane with confused eyes. Kurogane dropped Fai on the ground in hurry to get to Souma; The injured blonde mage just winced in pain and Meine offered a hand to help him up.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding Princess Tomoyo!" Kurogane exclaimed.

Souma raised her hand and shook her head to stop Kurogane. "Excuse me, my name is Souma, but I am afraid that this is the first time that you and I have met."

Kurogane was stunned and was probably also embarrassed. He just stood there staring at Souma for quite some time with his mouth slightly open until they left the shop.

Syaoran and Sakura helped move Fai inside the house and sat him on a chair. Meine stood there watching as the younger lad carefully bandaged Fai's ankle. Sakura on the other hand let Meine sit on a chair beside the mage and she took off Meine's coat for her, gasping and stepping away at the sight of the bloody handkerchief that wrapped the wound. Syaoran also gasped and immediately let her take off her ruined jacket and let it fall to the floor.

He cleaned Meine's arm and wiped away all the blood before applying ointment for it to heal faster. Meine winced a bit and nibbled at her lower lip, her fangs digging on it and made it bleed. She pretended to lick her lower lip frequently but the truth is she was bit by bit licking her blood. She also kept her eyes closed because the scent of the blood and the sight of the deep crimson liquid in the cloth made her eyes turn gold.

"There…" Syaoran whispered as he tied the bandage tightly around her arm.

"Thank you." Meine whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose once again.

"So there's a Souma-san in Kurogane-san's country who looks a lot like her, huh?" Sakura said as she delivered tea to the men and Meine.

"You were so surprised that you even dropped Fai!" Mokona bounced up and down in delight.

Syaoran returned to Fai and finished tying up the bandage on his ankle. "I guess it's true that a variety of worlds exist." Fai began. "Just like what Yuuko-san said, they're the same and yet not the same. If it's true then we might meet more in the future. More people who exist in our original worlds…"

Meine once again thought about Akemi. Someone who actually looked like him but wasn't him at the same time. Someone who wasn't a vampire like her…

"I brought back presents!" the mage chimed, limping to the couch where he set down and opened the bag to reveal the four bottles of alcohol that he bought.

Half an hour later, Fai, Mokona, and Sakura were giggling and meowing like idiots that Kurogane, who was still sober, was starting to get pissed. They all had glasses filled with alcohol and they were now drunk, well at least the kitty combo are.

Meine sighed as she looked out of the window with her second glass of bourbon on the rocks. For some reason she was craving for wine, the one she and two childhood friends used to drink during parties.

"If you get drunk so easily, don't bring home liquor even if somebody did recommend it!" Kurogane said to the two noisy drunkards. Their meowing and giggling was getting on his nerves. But the young princess and the stupid mage were obviously not listening.

Meine sighed as she sat on the couch beside Fai who kept on cuddling with her. She didn't mind the hugs, but she did mind the kisses. When he started pouting and moving towards Meine, she immediately stood up and flicked his forehead away.

"Idiot." She muttered as she went back to the counter for a refill.

Things started to get weird from then on. Mokona was twirling around the room. Fai and Sakura were meowing even louder and started making cat ears using their handkerchiefs; and Syaoran started swinging a ladle like a sword.

Kurogane looked around the room and spotted Meine by the counter who was also looking at the drunken mess in front of them.

"Are you drunk too?" he grunted and set his glass on a table.

"Not really." Meine replied with a shrug.

The dark ninja already had veins popping out on his forehead and he was about to lose his temper.

"GO TO BED! ALL OF YOU! NOW!" he ordered in a loud voice. The people in the room fell silent and just stared at Kurogane before making more noise again.

Meine helped get the four (including Mokona) back to their respective rooms and offered to lock up the café downstairs. Kurogane refused, saying that she was injured and ordered her up to her room, the vampire princess did as what Kurogane told her to do since she's also feeling tired from what had happened earlier.

* * *

Meine lay down on her bed wearing the new sleepwear that Fai had gotten for her and Sakura: a black camisole with a lace trim. It was a match with the one for the bottom, which was short black shorts with lace trimmings that matched her camisole.

Later that night, Meine lay down on her bed, her eyes still wide open as she waited for sleep to come at her. But she felt nothing; she didn't even feel like yawning.

Then she heard rustling of sheets in the room next to hers, which was Kurogane's room. She heard him grunt and knock lightly on her wall.

"Are you awake?" he asked softly, his voice barely audible because of the wall separating them but Meine could hear it perfectly.

"Yes."

"Come here for a second." He said.

Meine sighed and sat up. Since she wasn't sleepy, she might as well go there.

Not bothering to even put on a robe or anything, she opened the door to Kurogane's room without even knocking. Not that the ninja minded. He was only wearing a pair of black pants similar to the one he wore back in the Hanshin Republic.

He looked at Meine for a moment before looking away. She pretended not to notice and walked inside the room and let it close on its own behind her.

"What?" she asked.

Before she could even respond, Kurogane took her unwounded arm and pushed her to the bed. Both her wrists were now pinned on either sides of her head, and her legs between his. His face was a few feet away as he looked straight into her eyes and the only thing that was their source of light was the full moon outside.

Meine looked back into Kurogane's eyes but her face was bright red. "What?" she repeated.

It was a few minutes before Kurogane spoke. He just stared into her eyes as if he was searching for something.

"What are you exactly?" he asked.

Meine inwardly cursed in her mind as she feigned innocence. "What are you talking about?"

Kurogane smirked. "I saw the look in your eyes when you looked at me there. You're eyes were gold." He leaned forward until their faces were a few inches away. "So quit messing me and just say it. What are you?"

She smiled and looked to the side. "Fine I'll tell you." She looked straight into the ninja's eyes. "I'm a pureblood vampire. The last one left in our country apparently."

He looked at her incredulously but decided to just believe her. "Why did you go to the witch then? You must have a reason."

Meine looked back at his face that had pulled away a little but he still had her pinned to the bed. "My older brother who is very important to me and to the country has recently been killed and I have decided to get something to revive him."

"I see." he said, pulling away from her and sitting on the bed facing away from her.

"I wasn't intending on letting you know…"

"Why?"

She couldn't find an answer so she just shrugged as she sat up.

Silence fell on top of them and Meine will have to do _that_ if she wanted to hide her being a vampire. She knew the legends about vampires being cruel creatures and all that, but she could dismiss all those fairytales.

"Kurogane-san." she said as he pulled away.

He grunted and looked at her.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to erase this night from your memories. I'm afraid that if the rest knew about this, especially Sakura and Syaoran-kun they would be scared."

"I won't tell them." he said with a yawn and lay down on the bed folding his arms behind it to serve as a pillow. "I never go back on my word."

Meine stood there for a moment, deciding on what she would do next. Her father, the king, had taught her some spells that can do various things. So far the only one she could perfect was healing wounds other than her own and three more.

"But—!"

The ninja cut Meine off by glaring at her. "I had never gone back on my word so will you drop it?"

She took a deep breath and took a seat on the bed beside him. "I'm afraid I can't take any chances." She looked at Kurogane with apologetic eyes.

He immediately sat up. "What are you going to do?"

Meine took a deep breath and moved towards Kurogane, kneeling almost so that their faces were level with each other. Both her hands were resting on his chest.

She closed her eyes and leaned forward that their lips were really close to each other that one twitch would make her kiss him. His eyes were wide open and he held her shoulders to push her away but Meine held her ground.

She felt his hold on her waist and on her shoulder starting to loosen and she opened her eyes slowly to see that Kurogane's eyes were slowly closing. When Meine pulled away, he fell down and dropped on top of her.

She stood up and pulled the sheets over Kurogane and watched him for a while.

Unbeknownst to her, Fai who had gotten up from his bed to go to the bathroom saw what was happening inside the room. He didn't see anything, just the last part where Meine "kissed" Kurogane. He didn't wait for it to finish because of the very unpleasant feeling he felt, he couldn't help clenching his fists and grunting silently at the sight of the two being so intimate. He then went back to his room. He wasn't there to see Kurogane drop in her arms and hear Meine apologize.

* * *

The night after that, the spell Meine placed on Kurogane seemed to have worked because the ninja didn't say anything about that night and his actions was the same as always. Meine and Sakura were left alone in the café since Kurogane and Fai went out for some research again and Syaoran was still sword training. Meine just watched Sakura as she kneaded the dough of the scones that Fai taught her how to make.

She wiped away her bangs that were getting on her face. "When Syaoran-kun gets home, let's give him some really good food!"

Meine couldn't help but smile at her and Mokona moved to hug the bowl by the sides. "Sakura is so kind!"

Two hours passed and the men still haven't come home yet. Sakura have finished baking and Meine has already finished washing all of the soiled plates and utensils and they both sat on the high stools and watched Mokona fall asleep on a soft clean rag.

The two of them then brought Mokona up to Sakura's room and tucked it under the sheets where it murmured something in its sleep. "Kuro-wanko… Hug me…"

Meine and Sakura looked at each other and smiled.

As soon as Mokona was once again breathing slowly, Sakura and Meine stood up and left the room. "Until Syaoran-kun comes home I've got to work harder!" Sakura whispered to Meine.

The both went down the stairs and Sakura went to the oven to take out her scones while Meine took the liberty of sweeping the floor. Suddenly, she felt the huge wave of power from Sakura's feather and she heard Sakura gasp.

Before she knew it, Sakura was walking outside the door in a daze. Meine walked with her and waved a hand in front of her face. This happened very rarely, when Sakura would be drawn towards her own feathers in a daze just like what happened on Koryo Country.

"Sakura?" Meine called as she walked backwards a few meters in front of her. Her instincts told her that she should let her go to where her feathers are calling her, but it also told her to not leave the defenseless girl alone.

As they passed an intersection, Meine and Sakura passed Nekoi Yuzuriha and her dog Inuki as they were skipping, talking about kinds of cakes that Yuzuriha would like to eat. She also notices Sakura walking and follows her, calling her alias every now and then asking for her to stop.

Meine spotted Syaoran and the customer who once went to their shop named Ryouh standing under a tall sakura tree. "Syaoran-kun!" she called.

Syaoran turned around and he saw the princess walking towards him with Meine by her side.

"Princess!" he said and ran towards her. He placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking. "What's wrong? What happened? Please snap out of it!"

Sakura's hand slowly raised and pointed at the building of the city hall that could be seen from behind the tree.

"Could it be that your feather is right over there?" he asked.

Before the girl could possibly even answer, her eyes closed and she fainted on Syaoran's arms. Yuzuriha rived after that and Inuki started growling and Ryuoh's sword started shaking.

"There's an oni here!" Ryuoh said.

Syaoran then left Sakura in Yuzuriha's care and ran after Ryuoh.

"I'll go too!" Meine said and followed the two to the plaza where there was a huge level "Ha" oni in the middle of the street. Two oni hunters slashed the oni and it regenerated and only grew bigger.

Meine's eyes looked at the largest Sakura tree where she found a silhouette of a man sitting by the petals. Syaoran seemed to have noticed too and stood beside Meine.

The man raised his hand to pull his hood down. As the seconds ticked by, Meine's eyes widened and she felt her blood boiling under her skin as she bit by bit saw the face of the new breed.

Meine felt her eyes shining gold as she felt her blood pump faster than its usual speed. She knew the man on top of the tree… He **was** a friend of hers… until he betrayed her.

"It's been a long time, Syaoran…Princess."

'Seishiro…san…" Syaoran whispered.

"Seishiro!" she shouted, her hand tightened to fists on her side.

"Why is Seishiro-san in this world?" Syaoran asked aloud.

Before the two of them could react, Ryuoh grabbed their hands and ran away from the group of oni that was closing in on them. "That must be the new type of oni we heard about!" he shouted as he continued to pull them towards the direction of the café.

_"Seishiro… that bastard…"_

* * *

The three of them arrived at the shop in no time, running all the way until they arrived. Fai and Kurogane were already there standing by the doorway and Kusanagi had Sakura in his arms.

"What happened to you guys?" Souma asked as she noticed her panting partner.

"We met the new breed of oni…" Ryuoh said in between pants.

Meine just stood there, her mind racing as she thought whether or not that person was the Seishiro who went to her world and befriended her just to get to the powerful vampire twins.

She quickly excused herself and ran back to her room to think. She felt confused and she felt like she wanted to bite something off someone's head.

"Meine-chan!" Fai called after her.

She stood in lay down on her stomach on top of her bed, her face buried in her pillow. She didn't even bother to look up when she heard the door open mainly because she already knew who it was.

"Meine-chan…" Fai's voice said as she felt the bed shake as he sat on the edge. "You saw the new type of oni with Syaoran-kun?"

"Yeah." Meine's muffled voice replied.

"He also told us that the oni looked like the person who taught him how to fight. He said that the person called both your names… Do you know him?"

Meine sat up and her eyebrows furrowed. "Yes. I know that he is the one that I knew, because Seishiro was my friend…"

"What happened?"

She gripped the sheets under her. "He came to our country when I was younger and he was asking for a place to stay. I allowed him to stay in the castle that I live in, then in return he taught me a few techniques on how to fight…"

"Then what happened?" he asked.

"…I got attached to him. What could I say? I was still a kid. He was my best friend. I told him everything he asked about and I told him that I knew who the twins that he was looking for a long time and how to get to them. Then I discovered that he has been looking for the place where they lived while I was asleep…"

Fai waited for Meine to continue and watched her as she wrapped her knees with her arms.

"I was naïve, of course I asked him if it was true and then he tells me everything. He is a hunter that has been looking for the twins in search for immortality. He told me that he would one day hunt me down after he finds the twins so that he could have me. He said that I was also important to achieve his goal."

"What did you do?"

"I fought him… and of course a child like me wasn't a match for him. My older brother saved me before I was killed. When I woke up, Akemi told me that Seishiro was gone. As soon as he defeated me and the guards of the castle were soon surrounding him, he escaped to another dimension."

Tears started to pool at the corners of Meine's eyes and Fai pulled her to a hug to comfort her. She allowed herself to bury her face on his chest as the memories of that moment filled up her mind once again.

* * *

Meine stopped crying a few hours later with Fai beside her all through out of it.

"Sorry…" she murmured as she pulled away from his chest. He smiled gently at her and gently smoothened out her messy hair.

All of a sudden as Meine was about to stand up, Fai pulled her towards him and crushed her into his chest. She stood their shocked for a moment as the position they were in, sunk into her mind.

"F-Fai-san!" she stammered.

He stood there, holding her in place. He pulled back a little and used a hand to raise her chin and make her look up at him. "Meine-chan…" he whispered.

He leaned in forward slightly and their lips met for a minute. By the time Fai pulled away, Meine's breathing was ragged and her face was bright red. She was set back on her feet and he closed the door behind her before she could even react. Behind the door, the mage himself was confused on what just happened. When the intimate scene that happened between Meine and Kurogane replayed on his mind, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to do the same to the vampire princess.

"Fai-san…" she whispered as she climbed back into bed and rolled up on her side.

A few hours passed and the sun rose. Meine hadn't slept a wink as she slowly changed into the new waitress uniform that Fai had bought for her the other day. It was a girl's hakama, similar to what Kurogane wore but the pants were tied just around her waist line.

She went down the stairs to see Fai serving Kurogane breakfast. The mage smiled at her as she saw her wearing her new uniform. "Good morning, Meine-chan. That hakama that Kurogane bought for you looks nice."

"T-thank you." she stammered as she went behind the counter to prepare tea for the ninja. Her eyes occasionally wandered and ended up at Fai who always seems to catch her gazes and smile back, leaving Meine to look away with a flushed face.

_"Idiot!" _she thought to herself. "_Idiot! Idiot!" _

Sakura and Syaoran arrived at the main room just after Kurogane has finished his meal. After Syaoran finished eating the breakfast that Fai prepared; called a pancake, he and Kurogane left. The four of them (Sakura, Meine, Mokona, and Fai) took this as an opportunity to eat their share before opening the café. Fai garnished his plate with sliced strawberries and bananas while Meine let her share float in a pool of maple syrup, sweet fruits and shredded bits of chocolate. Sakura and Mokona just ate theirs with butter and a small amount of maple syrup.

A few hours past and the last of the morning customers left as they closed for lunch time. Meine cleared the tables and cleaned the area while Sakura washed the dishes and Mokona dried it. Fai was there as always, baking more pastries that made Meine's mouth water.

She placed another stack of dirty dishes on the counter near the sink where Sakura was. "Sakura-chan's working hard." she commented.

"You don't have to hurry." Fai said.

Sakura shook her head. "It's okay. I'm almost finished anyway. I can hardly do anything for any of my traveling companions. So if I can do something, I'll do it! Someday if only just a little… I'd like to bear my share of everyone's burden and pain…"

She was halfway falling down to the floor when she said the last word of her sentence. Fai caught her easily with one arm and supported her back as he slowly lowered her onto the floor.

"You really are a good kid, Sakura-chan…" he whispered softly, not knowing that Meine could hear him as loud as a bell. "You make even a guy like me with no room to worry about others hope that you'll be happy in the end."

"I'll go get a blanket and a pillow." Meine said as she excused herself to the bedroom for a quick moment. When she returned, Fai had carried Sakura to the couch where she first slept when they arrived to this world. He inserted the pillow under her head and pulled the blanket up until her shoulders.

"How is she?" Meine asked.

"She's just fast asleep. She's been going full out recently, only sleeping at night." he said with a smile. For a moment he stared into her eyes that made Meine uneasy.

"W-what?"

"You haven't slept last night, haven't you?" he asked.

Meine blushed as the last night's kiss replayed in her mind. "Not really…"

He smiled gently and sat on the ground. "Why don't you lie down for a moment and rest your eyes?"

She hesitantly sat on the ground. He smiled encouragingly and patted his shoulders. She slowly sat on the ground beside him and leaned against him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest so that she would be more comfortable. Instead of pushing him away, Meine breathed in his scent as her eyes closed and her breathing slowed.

She was still half asleep when she heard Mokona's soft serious voice speak. She heard them, but she was so sleepy that her brain didn't have time to comprehend it.

"Fai?" Mokona said.

Fai was whispering his reply to Mokona to not wake the sleeping girl in his arms. "What is it?"

"Fai said before in another world that if Syaoran laughs or has fun, nobody will blame him for it."

"Yeah… What about it?"

"It's true even for Fai, too. Nobody will blame Fai. Not Syaoran, not Sakura, not Meine or Kurogane. Nobody."

He smiled and took Mokona in one hand. "Me? I always have fun!"

"Fai thinks of other things even while laughing."

Meine felt Fai freeze under her and his hold on her shoulder tightens ever so slightly. "Mokona, you really are amazing."

Meine felt Mokona's furry body against her cheek as Fai placed it on her shoulder. "It's one of Mokona's secret techniques: knowing when someone is sad. Fai, Meine, Kurogane, and Syaoran are all somehow sad… but as everybody travels together, the sad parts get a little smaller. It'd be nice if the warm feeling that Sakura always has spread out to everybody else a little bit more. That's what Mokona thinks."

She felt Mokona disappear from her shoulder as Fai took the little creature somewhere. "Yeah… That'd be nice."

Meine's eyes opened immediately as she felt a familiar aura by the door. Fai noticed him too and he ordered Mokona to stay by Sakura's side. Meine jumped up to her feet as the door opened.

"Seishiro…" she growled.

"Hello, Princess Meine." he said with a smile. "Have you been keeping well?"

Meine didn't wait any longer as her instincts to attack took over. She lunged and evaded the onis coming her way and aimed for the man himself. But as she was about to reach him, her eyes shining gold, he did a circular motion and she was immediately thrown away a few feet back, only to be caught by Fai.

"What happened, _Gaki Hime _(Lit. meaning: Stubborn Princess) You're speed seems to be a little bit off today?" Seishiro said with a smile.

She clicked her tongue and lunged at him once again, now killing all the onis that are in her way by just her hand as she did an all out frontal attack. He smiled back as she neared him. Instead of doing the circular motion block once again, his hand stretched out in front of him and she was strangled, his hold on her neck tightening by the minute.

"Too bad, Princess... I had intended to hunt you after I find the two people I'm searching for. But I guess I will have to kill you now instead of later."

Meine held tightly to his arm as her feet struggled to get away.

"Farewell, Meine." he said as he tightened his grip even more.

Meine looked over at Fai who seems to be frozen there. Her hand reached out for him.

"F…ai…san…." she whispered as she started to disappear.

The last thing Meine saw before she disappeared was Fai reaching out for her hand as he mouthed her name.

* * *

Meine opened her eyes when she heard an incessant beeping. She found herself inside an egg-shaped pod with wings and a comfy chair inside.

"Guest number Delta 435702 is now dead. Player is now been extracted from the country of Outo." A voice spoke from inside her egg. The latch opened slowly, allowing Meine to get out of her container. She looked around and found more eggs similar to hers. She found her other five companions also inside their own eggs and was still asleep.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked aloud.

Then she felt a sharp pain in her head as if she just ate a bucket of ice cream without breathing. Memories of when they were dropped by Mokona to this world flooded her mind.

_Mokona opened its mouth and they were once again dropped a little bit too harshly inside an egg. It was one egg per person._

_"Can't you spit us out with a shred of dignity left?" Kurogane growled at the creature that landed on a separate egg._

_Meine was too distracted to listen to the others as they asked each other where they were as she looked up and stared at the high ceilings._

_"Welcome to _Fairy Park_!" six women said in unison as they moved towards each one of them in floating stands and held a rectangular screen. _

_Meine panicked and started stammering when a woman approached her. "Are you here for the dream capsules?"_

_She could hear Syaoran replying to the woman asking her but they didn't listen to them and asked several other questions._

_"Is this your first time?"_

_"Y-yes?" Meine replied._

_"Then we'll use the introductory settings then." a woman replied and started pressing buttons on the rectangular screen._

_The egg capsule closed on top of Meine as she knocked on it with her hands._

_"Now everyone, we wish you enjoy the very best of "dreams"." _

_Before Meine could even answer to what those women were saying, her eyes were slowly forced shut and the vision of her five companions inside egg capsules blurred._

"Why do I remember it just now?" she asked again aloud as she continued to walk on the paths.

She heard another capsule hinge open and she turned around to see Fai looking around, obviously confused. When his eyes past Meine, his eyes widened and he jumped out of his capsule and pull her tightly against his chest.

"Meine-chan." he whispered as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

"Fai-san?." She wrapped her arms half way around his back and snuggled closer to his comfy coat.

After a minute or so, Fai let go and looked around. "What's happening?"

A woman with long dark hair appeared from the shadows. "Please stay calm; I will explain everything to you. My name is Chitose…"

* * *

When Meine and Fai found out that Syaoran and Sakura had already "died", they both decided to be the one to explain the confusing situation that they were now in.

The two of them brought Syaoran and Sakura outside of the room full of capsules and brought them outside where the real country where Outo is… the country of Edonis.

Chitose once again appeared to them and once again introduced herself to the other two.

"I am informed that you know the person who is interfering with our dream capsule system." Chitose said to Syaoran as they brought to a dark room with computer screens lining the walls. "I would ask that you tell me more about this person."

"Why do you want to know?" he asked.

"This can't continue any longer… Our game has stopped being a game!"

"What does that mean exactly?"

Chitose paused and her eyebrows met in the middle. "The game must be completely safe. No matter what the dangers are in the virtual world, they aren't real. Once you are out of the world, it's as if you dreamed the whole thing… but since this person entered, the oni that should be under control by the Fairy Park's systems are being manipulated by some outside force."

"If this keeps up, the dream will…"

The ground suddenly shook and all the monitors inside the room switched to where the rumbling came from. On the screen was a video footage of what was happening just outside. In the Edonis Country's Fairy park, everyone was running away from the numerous oni that had materialized right there where the rides stood.

"It looks like the dream has turned into reality." Chitose said. She approached the largest screen in front of her. "Edonis Country has no system that could allow images from the dream capsules to appear in the real world! What method could the saboteur be using to make them real?"

The floor started to shake even more and small debris from the ceiling started falling down.

"If we don't find a way to counter it, the oni will spread throughout the country!"

Syaoran started running for the direction of the door. Sakura placed a hand on his arm and tried to stop him but to no avail. "We have to find Kurogane-san!"

Meine just happened to glance on one particular screen and she spotted Kurogane on top of a fallen gondola of the Ferris wheel. Seishiro was also there on top of the head of an oni.

She didn't say anymore and ran out towards the main part of the park where Kurogane was about to fight with Seishiro. She chose a different path so that she wouldn't pass by Yuzuriha and the other oni hunters who stood there carrying Sakura.

She jumped from one fallen debris to another until she was near enough to watch the fight where she wouldn't be seen.

Kurogane had just charged for Seishiro, which he evaded but not by quite enough. His coat was cut in half by just one swing of the ninja's sword.

Her eyes grew wide open as she watched Seishiro get his glasses from his front pocket and put it on. Whenever the man wore his glasses, it usually means that he was very serious about what he's going to do.

Meine did not take any chances. She quickly looked for the highest peak inside the park to do that attack to help Kurogane. It may not be that much and it may take a huge toll on her body but she didn't mind. _That _attack was the only magic attack that she knew and the only one that her father has ever taught her before he disappeared. She had never used it before.

She saw the tallest peak of the park was the fallen tracks of one particular ride and she climbed it. She had to keep down so that she wouldn't be seen and she just stood there on one of the lower beams.

She continued to watch how the battle will end up. If it is against their favor, she would use that move and attack Seishiro. If not, then she wouldn't.

Just as they were about to lay down their powerful blows on each other, a long stick with a piece of paper attached to it came out from Mokona's mouth and landed on the ground between them.

"What the hell?" Kurogane asked loudly. He turned to the direction to where the stick came from and he spotted Fai, Sakura, and Syaoran on the ground. "It's you guys!"

Meine didn't expect that she would still be able to hear what they were saying because they had quite a distance between them.

As she was watching, she swore that her and Seishiro's eyes met for a second and he actually smiled at her before he looked over at Syaoran. "It looks like you've made it back safely."

All of a sudden, light came out of Seishiro's chest and Sakura's feather appeared. Meine flinched as she once again felt that strong wave of energy.

"How did you get it, Seishiro-san?" Syaoran demanded.

Seishiro smiled and held the feather with both hands. "I cannot control the feather any longer. We'll have to finish our match later."

The city hall from Outo appeared out of the blue and landed near them. Seishiro used the feather's power to break the piece of the bridge that they were standing on and brought it up to the air.

"That's it!" Chitose said. "That thing in his hand is the incredibly powerful source of energy! That's the cause why Outo, the world of the game was able to come in reality!"

Meine continued to watch how things would turn out. She watched as Syaoran climbed up to the roof of the city hall so that he would be standing higher than Seishiro.

Strong gusts of winds surrounding the man prevented Syaoran from even having a chance of going near him. "Seishiro-san!"

As the winds got stronger, Meine saw a silhouette of a tall dark creature appear in front of Seishiro. Her eyes closed slightly as a strong gust brought dust to her eyes. By the time she was able to rub the dust away; she saw a huge oni, the biggest she's ever seen.

"The I-1 oni has appeared." Seishiro said.

As soon as the dust and the wind cleared up, Meine saw a person standing on the hand of the oni. It was a woman, a very beautiful woman with long curly hair and a clover tattoo on her chest.

"Oruha-san?" she asked.

"I never imagined that I'd be called back to duty this way." She said as she held onto one of the claws of the huge oni.

Seishiro just smiled. "Sorry."

"But there's no help for it. When such promising oni hunters requested for information, I decided to use _you _to deflect their attention."

"So the things you told as at the bar…" Fai began.

"…Those were lies?" Kurogane finished.

"Not all of it. I, in fact, have met a beautiful young man who can control oni. It's simply that the young man isn't an oni himself."

She turned to face Seishiro. "So… What business does the saboteur have with me?"

Seishiro nodded. "The country of Outo is virtual reality, which means that in the real world the shape you have now may not be what you really look like."

"That's true."

"Is your real form the shape that you have now?"

"No."

Seishiro didn't have a smile on his face. "I've heard that you can give eternal life."

"Yes."

"Shall we dispense with the roundabout questions?"

He paused for a moment. "Your true name… is it _Subaru_?"

Meine flinched at the sound of the name. She already knew what Oruha's answers will be.

"No." she said.

"Do you have any knowledge about a pair of vampire twins?"

"No, I don't. I am one of the people who made the system that runs Fairy Park. When we say eternal life, we mean that once you have defeated me, the strongest oni, then there is no enemy you can't defeat. In other words, we as the creators convey the special privilege of making it impossible to die in the game no matter what happens. That's what it means. It has nothing to do with the vampire legend."

Meine laughed a little, making everyone below them turned to look at her standing way up high. "Seishiro, you think that I'd let you live knowing that those twins are here? If Subaru were truly here in this world, I would've killed you the minute I saw you."

Seishiro just smiled at her comment. "I suppose you are right, Meine. So this isn't the place either. The reason this world of the game came out into reality is because of this."—he motioned to the feather at hand. "I cannot control it, but once that it vanishes from this world, so will its effects."

"Also… if those two aren't here, I have no reason to be either."

"No! Please wait!" Syaoran shouted.

Seishiro turned around to face Syaoran.

"The search for that feather is the reason why I'm traveling across different directions.

"It isn't yours, Syaoran."

"It's a crucial part of the most important person to me!"

Seishiro just continued to smile there. "I'm afraid that I can't return it. Will you fight me?"

Syaoran seemed to be looking for words before he answered. "You're the one who first taught me how to fight. I cannot defeat you as I am now. But I will return that feather! I've decided on that."

He started to untie the string that Kurogane had tied around his sword.

"I don't have the skills, and I know I can't use this sword as I should… but if I don't draw it, even my one-in-a-million chance turns to no chance at all!"

When Syaoran took out the sword, the blade was covered in flames.

"My chances may be near zero, but I'll take that chance!"

Syaoran jumped off the ledge and aimed right for Seishiro with his blade held with both hands and pointed straight at him.

He just stood there with a smile on his face as he was seemingly engulfed by flames but it just surrounded him like a vacuum.

"A sword of fire… it suits you Syaoran." He said with a smile.

As he was distracted with talking to Syaoran, he failed to notice Meine stand up on the highest part of the tracks and point two fingers above her head.

_"Ware wa utsu, koreki no madan! _ (Lit. meaning: I shoot thee, magic bullet of lightning)" she brought her fingers down and pointed them at Seishiro.

It didn't go exactly the way that she had expected it to be. She had expected him to actually cringe in pain and at least fall on one knee.

But no… He used the feather to protect himself from being hit completely. He acquired a cut on his face and several more cuts on his clothes.

Meine fell down on one knee as she breathed heavily after the attack. Her father was right; using that spell without much practice could lead her to having herself getting more hurt than she already is.

"You've gotten better, Meine." he said. "I'm sure you and Syaoran will grow stronger."

A magic circle similar to Yuuko's appeared under his feet as he readied to move to another dimension.

Meine let herself drop on the roof of the city hall as she slowly stood at where Syaoran once stood. "Seishiro!" she shouted.

He smiled for one last time to her as he was disappearing. "We'll meet again, Meine… When that time comes, I'll be hunting you next."

Meine's eyes met with Fai as he looked worriedly at the girl on top of the building when Mokona who was on his shoulder floated up into the air. Its large wings stretched out behind it.

"What's going on?" Meine asked as she tried to stand up straight, holding her stomach just as if she was punched.

"It seems that Mokona has picked up the trail of Seishiro-san's magic device. They are both from the Dimensional Witch. The roots of the power are the same." Fai explained.

He held Sakura's shoulders tightly. "Kuro-rin, Meine-chan, Syaoran-kun… We have to bid farewell to this country."

"Eh?"

A magic circle appeared underneath Mokona who had its eyes closed. It opened its mouth and at the same time, the Edonis country seems to be returning back to normal. Meine, Fai, Sakura, Syaoran, and Kurogane were then individually swallowed by Mokona's powerful vacuum.

Meine closed her eyes and hugged herself tightly as she braced herself for another drop to a new world.

_ -chapter owari-_

* * *

**heyzelle (once again) please review.**

the song up there in the middle is the english translation of "Kaze no Machi e" by FunctionJunction Kaori. I got it from gendou so I don't own any of those.

thank you for reading. please stay tuned until the end (^^)

**extra **here's a link to the colored drawing of meine. _**.com/art/Meine-Kreautz-colored-163320336**_

just copy paste it there. Also, if you're wondering why she's in that position, tell Meine-chan09. she's the one who drew that! :))

**meine-chan09:** Consider all the efforts I inserted into making that fanart before you say something bad about it.

**Note:** I'm sure you've noticed that we skipped some parts, Meine is the main focus of this fic so we didn't include the scenes where she can't be inserted.


	4. IV: Bit Fortress City

**Meine-chan09**: Hi guys1! I would like to thank those 100+ people who added our story to their favorites! hehe... If you like shounen-ai, please go to Mokosweet-kiss13's account, he's a good writer ahaha..... anyways, thank you so much for your undying support! please continue reading out fic till the end! thanks love yah all :*

**heyzelle:** okay, chapter 4! it's a little bit shorter than the rest of the chapters (^^) little note: if you like yaoi, please visit my account d(^^)b

_regular disclaimers apply_

* * *

**IV: Bit Fortress City**

A white fluffy creature appeared in the evening sky and five humans came out of its mouth. They fell onto the ground with a thud once again and Kurogane screamed at Mokona who just giggled as it landed on Sakura's shoulder.

They found a small cave that can fit the five of them to sleep for the night. Meine and Sakura got left behind while the men gathered wood for a small fire to keep them warm.

Meine sat there inside the dark cave beside Sakura. Her body still hurt slightly from the lightning spell that she had used on Seishiro from the last world they had been at and she guessed that a good night's sleep would take away the stress it caused on her body.

"Meine-chan, are you alright?" Sakura asked.

Meine nodded, knowing that Sakura wouldn't be able to see her face since it was too dark. "I'm fine. My body just feels a little bit heavy, but I'm fine."

The men came back a few minutes later carrying an armful of sticks and fallen branches. Syaoran started a fire using his flaming sword and Meine instinctively scooted closer to the heat. The rest of them prepared for sleep but Meine still sat there, her eyes closed and he head resting on her knees. She was already content with her place, even if her clothes might catch on fire.

"Meine-chan." Fai whispered. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at the blond man behind her. "Would you like to sleep with me for the night?"

Meine was hesitant at first before crawling towards Fai. The mage laid his thick coat on top of them and he closed his eyes. Meine on the other hand sat there with her head leaning against the walls of the cave and she could not stop thinking about the kiss Fai did back in Outo.

She tried to forget about it as her lids got heavier and heavier and eventually closed.

* * *

A few hours later, Meine woke up to the sound of somebody groaning. It was Fai, his eyes were closed shut and he was breathing heavily. She tried to shake him awake but he didn't even stir.

"Fai…" she whispered as she continued to shake him. "Wake up…"

Suddenly, Fai's eyes opened wide and his arms came around her body and he pulled her closer to his chest.

Meine sat there, surprised, about what he had just done. His chest was moving up and down quickly and his forehead had a thin film of sweat over it.

"Just a dream…" he murmured as he tried to normalize his breathing. He didn't notice that he had grabbed the girl until she tapped his shoulder.

"Fai-san…" she whispered, blushing once again as she realized that their lips are only inches apart and their kiss replayed in her mind. "You're hurting my arm."

He immediately let go and turned away. "Sorry."

She returned to her original position beside him and she leaned her head against her arm. "Nee, Fai-san." She said in a soft voice to not wake up their other sleeping companions.

"What is it, Meine-chan?" he said with a smile.

She could feel her eyes starting to close again. "…Why did you kiss me back then?"

Before she can even hear the answer, her eyes closed shut and she slipped into unconsciousness. The man beside him looked at her with sad eyes and moved her bangs so that he could see her sleeping face better.

"I'm wondering why I even did that…" Fai whispered and he took Meine's hand and placed it against his lips. "…Meine."

* * *

The five of them and Mokona stood in front of a tall stone gate that had seal of the city, or something like that. Meine felt better than she did last night and her body was back to its original state, except for the fact that she was hungry.

Kurogane knocked hard on the stone gate. "Open the gates! I don't care who it is, open up!" he said.

The gates started to rise and little by little they could see two people standing in front of it. Those said two looked like the waiters from Hanshin Republic.

"Nii-sama and Yukito-san?" Sakura exclaimed.

The two led the group of travelers to a restaurant where food magically appeared out of the table. The four of them looked at the food on the table with curiosity.

"I'm sorry for surprising you." Yukito said with an apologetic smile. "Everyone in this country can use magic. I'm skilled at magic that makes clothes so I am a tailor, but he is skilled at producing food from magic, therefore he runs this store."

Meine slowly reached out for a breadstick that was on the table and nibbled lightly on it as Yukito and Touya explained.

"Once a year, the country's people all see the same dream and the person they see in the dream is chosen as the next king." Touya said.

Yukito nodded in agreement. "…But the king chosen this year, entered the castle but refused to do the work as the king. The absence of the king invited many misfortunes."

"There's no morning in this world anymore."

Meine and Mokona took a bread roll and nibbled on it lightly again as they continued to explain. Hell, she was hungry and they keep on talking there that she couldn't eat.

Yukito continued to explain "Our source of magic is the sun. But since the night has continued, we haven't been able to gain benefits from the sun and there are those whose magic has been decreasing. If this condition continues, a terrible situation may result."

A small, human about 6 inches in height that was dressed in pink appeared in the middle of the table holding a tambourine.

"To prevent that from happening, let's dance pointlessly!" the pink one exclaimed happily as it twirled around the table, avoiding the plates. "I'll take all of you to the castle!" It shook its tambourine once and the five of them found themselves falling out of something once again.

"Ouch…" Meine groaned as she fell on top of Kurogane.

"Where are we?" Syaoran asked.

"Welcome to the castle of the king." the one in pink said as it dances around them.

There was another one like her with the same height but it wasn't as loud as the other one. It had long dark hair tied with bells on either sides of its head and it wore dark clothes. "We are magical spirits who serve the king. My name is Kotoko."

"I'm Sumomo!" said the other magical spirit.

"Why did you bring us here?" Syaoran asked.

Kotoko looked over at Fai. "We have something to ask of you."

Fai smiled and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"You're a magician yourself, am I correct?"

"Yes, that's kind of true..."

"We would like for you to use your magic and check the mood of the one to be king, and we would like for you to convince him into becoming the king."

"I'm sorry…" Fai said. "But I swore that I would never use magic ever again."

"I see…" Kotoko whispers. "Then the six of you may go…but we will not give up until you agree to it."

Sumomo led them out of the castle, dancing and twirling on the way. As soon as they reached the gates of the castle, Sumomo only then stopped dancing and waved them goodbye.

The five of them decided to look for an inn where they could live in for the duration of their stay. They found a nice inn that the kind owner allowed them to stay for free after finding out that they are travelers.

Meine sat on the big comfy bed inside the room that she had to share with Kurogane and Fai. The owner allowed lending them two rooms for the duration of their stay since he claims that if he gave them each a room, his business would go down.

Meine chose to stay in the room where the men were to sleep in since she didn't want to get in the way of Syaoran and Sakura.

"Meine-chan," Fai said with a smile. "You get to sleep on the bed."

"Eh? Why should I be the only one on the bed?" she asked. "We slept on the ground yesterday, so why don't the three of us share? It's big enough to fit the three of us."

Fai and Kurogane briefly looked at each other and Fai just smiled. But Meine would not take no for an answer, her companions are as tired as she is, and she would not let them sacrifice comfort just for her.

She pulled both of their hands and pulled them down to the bed. "I don't care what the two of you have to say, but we are going to sleep on this bed, side by side tonight!"

Defeated by her orders, the two agreed to sleep together in one bed for that night.

* * *

After going back to the restaurant of Touya and eating the dinner that they had left untouched because of the magic spirits summoning to the king's castle, they immediately went back to the inn to rest for the night.

Meine sat in the middle of the bed wearing a big white undershirt that they had found inside the closet. She was sitting there, waiting for her other companions to join her on the big bed. Kurogane hesitantly sat on the bed from Meine's left side.

He slowly lifted the covers and lay down beside her, having at least five inches apart. Meine still sat there, waiting for Fai to come out of the bathroom.

"Fai-san?" she called.

Fai got out of the bathroom his hair wet and had a towel tied loosely around his waist. Meine turned bright red and looked away. Kurogane noticed this and he smirked a little. Fai didn't seem to notice this and went to sit down on her right, his bare back staring right at Meine.

She tried to avert her eyes by looking at her feet but her eyes still kept on glancing at his half-naked body that thoughts that should not be thought by girls her age are racing through her mind. He could feel the warmth of the shower emanating from his skin.

She lay down on the bed facing Kurogane. Her face was still as red as a beet as memories of her together with Fai replayed in her mind and thoughts of… something. The only thing separating her was that towel around his waist. She opened her eyes and saw Kurogane looking at her with a small smirk.

His hand reached out to touch her face and used it to cover her eyes. "Go to sleep, you perverted princess."

* * *

Meine was awoken the next morning by the annoying sound of a tambourine being hit continuously. She covered her ears with a pillow and snuggled closer to the warm body on both her sides.

"Wake up, wake up!" said an annoyingly high pitched voice.

She turned around in the bed until she finally sat up in annoyance. "Shut up!" she screamed and threw a pillow towards that direction.

She heard muffled cries and Sumomo appeared from under the pillow that Meine threw. She shook the tambourine and jumped up and down. "Rise and shine, it's already morning!"

Fai and Kurogane were already up and they sat on either sat of the bed. The ninja seemed to be grouchy too like Meine but Fai was already smiling like Sumomo.

After taking a quick shower and changing into her original clothes, the three of them met Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona. Without a warning, Sumomo rings her tambourine once again and the six of them came falling down inside the throne room in the castle, except this time there was actually a cushion to stop their fall.

Like yesterday, Kotoko stood on top of the throne and once again asked Fai nicely to agree to help convince the king to do his duties.

"I'm sorry, but like I have told you yesterday, I have sworn to never use magic ever again. Please understand."

"That leaves us no other choice then." Kotoko whispered as Fai walked out of the room. The two guardian spirits looked at each other and Sumomo raised her tambourine. "We will have no choice to imprison you till you agree to our conditions." The travelers were transported to another part of the castle: the dungeon.

They were there cramped inside the rectangular-shaped cell with thick iron bars to stop the prisoners from being able to run away.

"What the hell." Was all Meine could say. She sat on the wall farthest from the bars and she stared daggers right at Fai. "Couldn't you just agree to it and talk to the king? That could've worked!"

Fai just had his usual goofy grin. "But if that were to happen, I would still have to use magic."

"Why you…!" Meine sneered and lunged for Fai to strangle him, not a real strangle with intent to kill, just a playful strangle.

Fai kept on smiling and had his arm playfully around Meine's waist and pulled her closer, making her flail her arms instead and hit his chest repeatedly. "Damn you! It's your fault that we're here!"

Kurogane sighed and pulled Meine away from the mage. He set her to sit right beside him from the other side of the room away from Fai.

She crossed her arms and pouted at the mage.

"Sorry, Meine-chan… but I promised to never use magic again without the tattoo that I gave Yuuko-san as a price."

Syaoran gave a small shaky laugh before Mokona started jumping around the room.

"Mokona, can you feel the presence of Princess Sakura's feather in this world?" he asked the white creature. Mokona landed on his knee and concentrated for a moment.

"There's none! Mokona can't feel any presence in this dimension." it said.

"Great." Kurogane grunted as he sat down beside Meine. "How about we leave this dump right now?"

Mokona was silent but for some reason, the usual magic circle did not appear under it. Mokona's ears drooped as it jumped its way to Sakura's lap. "Mokona can't go to another world. Something here is blocking the way out."

They all exchanged worried glances, except for Kurogane who stood up and threw a large chunk of rock out of the wall and threw it at the metal bars, which broke because of the force. "If there's no feather, there's no need for us to be here for long. We'll just have to find a way out."

They ran down the stone hallway when they heard stomping. Kurogane and Syaoran peeked from the corner and saw stone soldiers coming their way. "More strange things are coming." Kurogane grunted. Mokona opened its mouth and their swords appeared in their hands.

"We'll stop them. The three of you can flee first." Syaoran said.

Fai, Sakura, Meine, and Mokona then went the opposite way and went up a couple of stairs and ran down the huge hallway which Meine guessed that they were already in the main part of the castle. A couple of stone soldiers surrounded them and blocked their way out.

Meine took Mokona into her arms while Fai picked Sakura up gently by her waist and both of them jumped over the soldiers that stood in their way.

"Excuse us." Fai said as he set Sakura on her feet and they continued to run up the tower's spiral staircase until they reached a door at the very top of the tower.

Fai slowly pushed the door open and they saw a girl with long blonde hair and ornate clothes facing the window. Meine noticed Fai freeze and stare at the girl's back with wide eyes.

"Chii!" he exclaimed.

Meine flinched when she noticed Fai take a step forward and Mokona who was in her hands felt it and looked up at her face.

Fai took a couple of steps forward and Meine could feel her heart break with every step. For some reason, she felt the bond between Fai and the girl named Chii, or at least how Fai looks at her.

The girl turned around and revealed beautiful brown eyes and weird ears.

"Chii! Fai repeated.

"That's right." Kotoko and Sumomo appeared on the desk just beside Chii. "She is the one chosen to become the king this year, Chii-sama. But there is no use in talking to her."

"Why?" he asked.

"Since we erased all her memories..." Sumomo said.

Fai looked confused.

Kotoko nodded. "The one to become the king need a pure heart. Therefore, before they become king, we erase all their memories until now. But do not worry, the day she resigns from being king, all her memories will be returned."

"She looks really lonely." Mokona said. Meine averted her eyes away from Fai and looked at the creature in her arms.

"That is a lie. There's no way she can be." Sumomo said with a carefree smile. ": Since she has no memories, there's nothing to be lonely about."

Mokona shook its head. "But Mokona isn't lying. Her loneliness comes from not being able to leave the castle. She wants to leave the castle and play a lot, but since she can't, she's lonely."

Fai looked at Kotoko and Sumomo. "Fine, I will help you convince the king, but under one condition."

Kotoko nodded. "What is it?"

"Allow me to take her outside. Do not worry, I will take her home." he said with a smile.

The magical spirits looked at each other and nodded. "Fine." Sumomo said. "But you must convince the king in two days."

Fai nodded and knelt in front of Chii. She took a step back and looked at Fai with alarmed eyes. "No need to be afraid. My name is Fai, Let's become friends."

Chii lowered her arms and looked at Fai like how a child would look at his mother, her big brown eyes full of curiosity. "Fai…? Friends?"

She started to glow and a bright light came out of her body. Fai had his hand stretched out for her and she happily took it and before the two princesses knew it, the two of them disappeared into the night.

"Fai!" Meine shouted as they disappeared.

"The rest of you may leave now." Kotoko said. "The rest of your friends are already at the gates."

Sumomo raised her tambourine and the two princesses and Mokona found themselves falling in front of the gate. Meine closed her eyes, expecting a hard landing but instead she felt strong arms holding her up.

Meine opened her eyes slowly and saw Kurogane's face with a tired expression. "Hey, where's the mage?"

She couldn't reply instead she jumped off of Kurogane's arms and stood there with her bangs covering her face. Her chest was hurting a lot and she didn't know why. This has never happened before, ever and this is freaking her out.

"Fai-san disappeared together with the king." Sakura explained as she scrambled out of Syaoran's arms.

They all decided to go back to the inn to rest. They had no idea whether it was night or day, but they could tell that it wasn't time to sleep yet. Kurogane had his eyes locked on Meine on the way back, wondering why her head was down and she didn't show her face. She still held onto Mokona who was looking up worriedly at Meine's face. Syaoran and Sakura didn't seem to notice as they were walking in front of them.

* * *

Back in the inn, Meine sat there on the bed fully clothed, except for her shoes. She was now hugging a fluffy pillow tightly against her chest and she hid her face with it. Mokona was on the bed beside her and was still looking at her face. Kurogane on the other hand didn't enter the room and decided to wander around town, leaving the room for Meine to be alone

"Meine…" Mokona said. "What's wrong?"

Meine lowered the pillow and looked at the little white creature whose red gem was shining in the light. "Mokona, can I tell you something?"

Mokona nodded.

"Something feels weird… When I saw Fai-san look at Chii-san like that, my chest hurt and it felt like my heart was going to break… What's happening?"

The creature's worried expression softened a little and it bounced to Meine's open hand. "It's alright, Meine." It said as it reached its paw to touch Meine's face. "You'll understand soon."

Meine felt a little bit better as she knew that Mokona comforted her as she brought it to her face. "Thank you, Mokona."

Kurogane, who was secretly hiding behind the door leading to their room heard everything and could not help to think of ways to help cheer up the princess.

* * *

Fai and Chii were now walking down the dark streets of Bit Fortress City as they were enjoying their date. They now both wore clothes from that world that they got from the tailor Yukito's shop.

He was spacing out when the two of them sat down in a restaurant to talk. He was looking at his cup of tea when Chii was just sitting their sipping from her own cup.

"Fai?" she asked.

He snapped out immediately and wore his usual smiling mask. "What is it, Meine-chan?" He froze after realizing the name that he had just said; he had just called Chii "Meine".

"Meine…?"

He smiled apologetically at the naïve girl in front of him. "Sorry, Chii… Meine is the name of one of my companions."

"Companions?" she asks again.

Fai nodded. "She is one of the people who are traveling with me."

Chii was silent for a moment and just stared at Fai who seemed to busy with his thoughts, her head tilting to one side.

The mage cannot stop thinking about Meine and about her face when he briefly turned back to look at her before he and Chii teleported to another part of the city. Her face looked pained and confused that Fai could not just take it out of his mind.

He then noticed Chii stand off her seat and he turned his head to look at what the young king was staring at with happiness.

There were groups of people in colorful costumes and music in the background as they walked down the street. Fai guessed that this was a parade and invited Chii to follow where it was going. He nodded and Chii dragged him down the road.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the group with the exception of Fai, were invited by Yukito to go to his shop so that he could give them clothes from their country.

When they got out, Meine now wore a sleeveless, button-down, backless dress with a scoop neckline and a beautiful lapel design that was cinched on the waist by a black belt. It reached up to the middle of her thigh and Yukito gave her a matching coat and another set of clothes to change into. She wore white boots that was just below her knee and her hair was let down and she wore a white headband and ribbons to design her hair.

"Thank you very much." she said to Yukito as she stepped out of the room where she was measured and the clothes magically appeared from a hanger. She hung the coat that Yukito had given her on her arm and a bag containing the other set of clothes in the other. She loved the coat that the tailor had given her: it was a black, hooded coat with full fur lining and at the end of each sting on the hood was a fur bonbon that Meine found adorable. It was simple but very eye-catching.

Meine and the rest of her company said goodbye to Yukito and exited his shop.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked as they were walking slowly down the street.

"We'll just have to wait for Fai-san to convince the king before we leave for another dimension." Syaoran said to her with a smile. "It'll only be a few days, why don't we relax for a while and enjoy our stay. Like a vacation."

"I think I'd agree to the idea of a vacation." Meine said with a sigh. "We've been jumping around every dimension looking for feathers."

They continued to walk down the street when Kurogane decided to go on with his plan to cheer Meine up.

"Oi." he said. Meine looked up and met the ninja's eye. "Can you come with me for a second?"

Meine shrugged but nodded. "Okay."

They let Mokona swallow their luggage into its mouth and they went to a separate direction from Sakura and Syaoran.

She was there walking side by side Kurogane who seemed to be deliberately walking at the same pace she always walks with. They were a few inches apart as they walked.

"Where are we going?" Meine asked.

The tall ninja just looked down and smiled at her. "Just wait and see."

Kurogane led Meine to a café that he had heard was famous for sweets. He had asked for money from Yukito who had gave the money to him in a snap, saying that he would do anything to help a person in need.

Meine, who was still confused follow Kurogane inside the shop and they sat down inside a booth. After being given menus, she asked Kurogane. "What are we doing here?"

He smiled a rare smile that she rarely saw. "I saw that you were a down when you came out of that castle and I figured this would cheer you up. Order anything you want, they said that this shop is famous for their delicious pastries."

Meine couldn't help but smile and she scanned the menu for delicious pastries.

After ordering like five different kinds of pastries including a sampler platter which had small servings of every pastry they had in the shop, she asked what Kurogane was going to have.

"I'll just have coffee, please." he told the waiter.

"No pastries?" she asked as she set her jacket on the space beside her. "How come?"

"I'm not really a big fan of sweets." he said. He noticed the girl pout slightly and he decided to change his words. "I eat them; I just prefer to eat a little amount."

Meine smiled slightly. "We're the opposite then… I love sweets."

"Yeah, I discovered when we were in Outo."

She giggled a little, even the ninja couldn't help but smile at the girl. She just softens his heart for a reason; she was like a little sister that he had always wanted to have when he was younger.

Meine felt happy and she even forgot Fai for a moment. She was having fun together with Kurogane who she has always thought was always serious and cold, but he too had a soft side.

"Thank you, Kurogane-san." she said with a smile.

"No problem." he replied. "…but I also asked you to come with me because I wanted to ask you something."

She looked up from the cake she was eating and didn't notice that there was icing on her cheek. He reached out with his hand and wiped it away. "Now I want you to think of me as something like a big brother that you can tell anything to. Okay?"

Confused, Meine hesitantly nodded. "What is it?"

"…Do you like the mage?"

Meine froze, not expecting that question at all. She set her fork down and fidgeted with the napkin on her lap. "I don't know exactly… But my chest hurt this morning when I saw him leave with Chii…"

Kurogane sat there silently, waiting for her if she was to continue and he drank a little from his cup of coffee.

"I'm confused to whether I like him or not…"

He noticed that this topic was getting Meine down again and he decided to change it into something interesting for her: her favorite pastries.

He let her talk from this point on, laughing at her jokes and just looking at her as she ate. It was peaceful and nice, unlike his usual environment which was all blood and killing and the sound of swords slashing against skin.

What the two of them didn't know as they were both enjoying their time talking and eating sweets, Fai and Chii who were still having their date entered the same café. Fai spotted the two of them laughing and talking. He also saw Kurogane smile and reach out towards her and wipe away something from her face and she just smiled.

They decided to sit in a booth at the back, where he could still see the two of them but they couldn't see him. He could feel himself getting angry for some reason and he questioned himself whether or not he was jealous of them together but he decided to not think about it.

He tried to concentrate at Chii who was repeating the words that he was teaching her as she now ate the parfait she had ordered.

He continues to glance at them constantly but even though he was trying his best to stop himself and concentrate on Chii, he still could not stop thinking about Meine who was only a few meters away. He felt his anger rise even higher when he saw Meine hold out a fork in front of the ninja's face and he in turn ate it. He is then reminded about the "kiss" that he had seen back in Outo.

Meanwhile, Meine finished eating the pastries she had ordered and she even force fed Kurogane with a sweet chocolate mousse and she smiled at Kurogane who paid for their meal.

"Thank you, Kurogane-san." she said once again.

He rolled his eyes and returned the rest of the money back into his pocket. "I told you to treat me as if I was an older brother, so stop saying thank you."

Meine couldn't help but smile and she gathered her coat into one hand. She noticed that Kurogane stood in front of her and he had his elbow sticking out to let her hook her own arm around it. She giggled a little and inserted her hand between and clung onto Kurogane.

"Fai?" Chii said, looking at him through the parfait that she had ordered. "What's wrong?"

Fai smiled at her and shook his head. "It's nothing, Chii. After you finish your parfait, I'll take you back to the castle and then we can continue our date tomorrow."

He watched her eat her parfait silently as his mind was filled with thoughts about Meine. A thought that pained him a little entered his mind.

Meine wasn't his.

She doesn't belong to him alone. They were from different worlds, and this was impossible.

He stopped himself before he thought of other things that may lead to another, cursing at himself but kept a small smile on his lips. He doesn't have the right to feel that way.

All he could think about at that moment was Meine's pained face before he disappeared with Chii.

After Chii finished her parfait, he brought her back to the castle for the night and promised her that he would return the first thing in the morning to take her somewhere else inside the city.

Fai returned to the inn after that, knocking at Sakura and Syaoran's room first before entering the room that he shared with Meine and Kurogane. It was empty, as he expected and he saw two bags and Meine and Kurogane's original clothes laid out on the bed.

He walked slowly towards the bed and picked up Meine's dress which had a white square collar, and a ribbon to tie around her neck. The half-sleeves had small, delicate ruffles and it had another ribbon tied above the edge of her ruffled skirt. He found Meine adorable when she wore this. He hugged this against his chest and breathed in her lingering scent.

"Meine-chan…"

* * *

Meine now wore her coat before she and Kurogane continued walking down the road. Since it was dark, she had her arm hooked around his and they walked side by side.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"That Yukito guy told me a bar around here somewhere, I figured you and I could have a drink and talk more. It's still early, I think. And guessing from all those sweets that you've eaten, you're far from sleepy."

"Yeah, I'd like to get a drink."

After a few more minutes, they entered a bar at one corner named "Spiral" and they chose to sit on the bar counter. It looked exactly like the bar "Clover" from Outo country. There was also a girl on a stage singing songs for entertainment.

"Hello." The bartender said. "What will you be having?"

Kurogane looked at Meine and waited for her to order her own drink.

"Umm… Do you have a chocolate martini here?"

The bartender nodded and waited for Kurogane's order. "Double vodka."

The bartender left to prepare their drinks and they settled down. Meine shrugged off her jacket and laid it out on her lap.

"More chocolate even though you've just eaten a ton back in the café?" he teased. "You'll get fat."

Meine gasped and glared at the ninja. "If you don't want to die, never say those words ever again."

Kurogane laughed and lightly tugged on one of the ribbons on Meine's hair. "You look cute in this dress." She blushed a little and decided to forgive Kurogane after giving her such a compliment.

They spent a few hours inside the bar talking about random stuff about themselves and drinking a few drinks. Meine already had her third glass before Kurogane decided that she had enough.

"Why do we have to leave now?" Meine asked as Kurogane put on her coat for her.

"I think you've had enough sweets for today." he said. He took her hand and gently dragged her out of the bar and back to the direction of the hotel.

Meine stumbled slightly but Kurogane luckily caught her before she was even hurt. "Careful." He said and he balanced her.

She giggled and leaned her head against his chest. "I think I'm drunk…"

"Thanks for stating the obvious."

He knelt down and picked her off her feet to carry her in his arms. She stammered a little, her face flushed from both embarrassment and a little bit of alcohol. "C-can you put me down, please?"

"No, and if you trip and get hurt, those kids would keep on badgering you and looking at you with worried faces."

Meine shrugged and let Kurogane carried her all the way back to the inn which turned out to be a corner away. He refused to let her down even though there were only a few flights of stairs left.

She took the liberty of knocking on the door to their bedroom. Fai opened the door in only a bathrobe and fluffy slippers.

"Meine-chan!" he said when he saw the girl inside Kurogane's arms. He stepped aside to let them in and immediately went towards her. "What happened?"

"Relax." Kurogane said. "She just had too much sweets and chocolate martini." He gently set her on the bed and sat down on one of the comfy seats.

"I can never have too much chocolate." She grumbled and sat on the bed. She pouted and hugged a pillow.

"You were giggling all the way here, that's not too much chocolate?" Kurogane asked with a raised eyebrow.

She smiled and stretched her arms. "I'm going to take a bath."

She jumped off of the bed, took off her coat and went to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and sighed. She had to admit she had too much to drink since chocolate martini did have a high alcohol percentage, but she could never ever have too much chocolate.

She slowly took off her clothes and hung it on a hanger behind the door. She slowly untied the ribbons in her hair and entered the shower to let the warm water ease her tired body.

She swore as the water was hitting her body, she could hear hushed voice outside. They were talking real quietly that Meine could not understand it that much. When she turned off the shower for a moment, the talking outside stopped but when she opened it again…

Those two men were discussing something that they didn't want Meine to know.

That pissed her off a little.

She decided she was done and wrapped a towel around herself and dried her hair before dressing into the large white shirt that she had worn the night before.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Kurogane was already shirtless and still sitting on the chair while Fai was already lying on the bed.

Meine didn't say anything and climbed onto bed beside Fai while she slipped under the covers.

She looked over at Kurogane who had stood up and had gone to the bathroom, leaving her and Fai alone in the room.

"Nee, Meine-chan." Fai said as he shifted to face her. Meine opened her eyes and looked into those sapphire eyes that made her feel a little uncomfortable.

He wasn't smiling and he was looking at Meine for what seemed to be what she guessed was worry. "Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" she asked.

He propped up his head with his elbow and used his other hand to play with Meine's slightly damp hair. "I was just wondering, since we had that argument in the dungeon."

"I'm not mad." she said, looking away almost immediately after looking at him.

"Then why aren't you looking at me?"

Meine sighed quietly and looked back at Fai. He wasn't smiling and was looking at Meine with eyes that she had never seen before. She was about to say something when Fai climbed on top of her. It was like they were in the same position as she was in with Kurogane back in Outo, except her hands weren't pinned to the bed.

She didn't dare to move a muscle and neither did Fai. He was just there on top of Meine and stared into her eyes as if looking for something. For some reason, Meine couldn't look away as if she was hypnotized by his eyes.

After a few minutes for what seemed like forever to Meine, he pulled away and moved back to lie down beside her. At that exact same moment that his back hit the bed, the door to the bathroom opened and Kurogane came out of the shower.

"Goodnight, Meine-chan." Fai said in his usual tone and snuggled under the covers.

"…Goodnight." she whispered back and turned to face Kurogane's side.

* * *

Later that night, Meine was slightly pushed to consciousness by the sound of a hushed conversation. She was wondering why her body felt really comfortable and warm all over. She was still half asleep, so she wasn't aware of anything and she could only hear their conversation.

"Oi, mage." Kurogane said his voice merely a whisper.

"What is it, Kuro-rin?" Fai asked also in a soft voice, but it felt like his voice was surrounding Meine. It turns out that she was cuddling against Fai… but she wasn't aware of that.

"…Do you have feelings for her?"

She felt someone patting her hair. "I don't know myself…" he replied. "During my time with Chii, all I could think about was her."

"Doesn't that mean that you're starting to fall for her?"

The hand patting Meine's hair froze and moved away. She felt someone kiss her forehead and breathe on her hair. "Oh my god… I… I think I am."

Meine wasn't able to listen from that point on. Her hearing started to get fuzzy as she went back to her dreams.

* * *

The next morning, Meine woke up without any recollection of what she had heard during the night. She couldn't understand why she was such in a good mood. When she sat up, she saw Fai stepping out of the shower wearing a bathrobe and had a towel on his head to dry his hair.

Fai then left for the second part of his date with Chii.

"Hurry up and get dressed." Kurogane said as he pulled the blanket off of Meine. "Come on, I'll take you to a good place."

Meine didn't even question or resist to the idea and just went to the bathroom to change into the other set of clothes that Yukito gave them yesterday. It was just a plain strapless black dress with a thick white belt and a petticoat under to make the skirt puffy. She matched it with the black, high-heeled pumps that she found in the bottom of the bag.

"Where are we going?" Meine asked as she fixed her hair by tying it up with a white ribbon from yesterday. "You said you'll take me to a good place."

"Have you ever had ice cream before?" he asked all of a sudden as he tossed his magazine to the bed where it bounced a few times before it stopped.

"What's ice cream?" Meine asked.

"Perfect." She heard Kurogane say and he took her hand.

He pulled her as they brisk walked to the part of the city that they weren't able to go to yesterday. Kurogane brought her to a shop where there were colorful wallpaper and a sweet scent in the air. Meine found the colors around her as tacky but she was drawn to the counter because of the sweet scent.

There on the counter were two rows of different colored stuff with small cards sticking out with labels on them. Meine could tell that that stuff was sweet and she could not control her appetite.

"What are they?" Meine asked Kurogane who was standing behind her with an amused expression.

"That is ice cream. What flavor do you want?" he asked, leaning forward so that was in level with Meine's height.

Meine scanned every small card with the name on it. "Can I have two?"

"Why not…you can always have two scoops with different flavors…"

When they got out of the store, Meine was holding a giant Belgian cone with two scoops of ice cream: strawberry in the bottom and chocolate on top. Kurogane just ordered a regular Belgian cone with one scoop, claiming once again that he isn't a fan of sweets.

They walked slowly down the street, Meine licking her ice cream with a happy face. She had her eyes closed and was too busy eating that she wasn't able to notice the mage with a blonde girl running towards them from the corner.

They were being followed by a few stone soldiers that followed them before inside the castle. Fai waved at the two and when they passed, pulled both of their arms to make them run too. Meine accidentally dropped her ice cream cone during that moment.

"Ah!" she shouted. "My ice cream!"

"We'll get you one later, but right now we've got to run!" Fai said with his usual goofy grin.

"Why are you guys even running away?" Kurogane asked.

The mage just smiled. "I may have said a few things and I smuggled Chii outside the castle today."

Meine was pissed, mainly because she wasn't able to finish her ice cream. When they passed a corner, they spotted Mokona, Syaoran, and Sakura and they too noticed the four running away from stomping stone soldiers.

"Hey, white manjuu bun!" Kurogane shouted. "Give me my sword!"

Mokona opened its mouth and Syaoran and Kurogane's swords appeared.

They stopped running in front of their other companions and let Kurogane and Syaoran do their thing. They slashed a couple of those stone soldiers but for some reason, they still got surrounded. It was a good thing that Sakura and Mokona were out of the way. One soldier started to reach its hand out for Chii but thankfully Kurogane defeated it.

Suddenly, Chii started to glow and Meine happened to be standing beside Fai. She gasped when her body started to glow and they flew off somewhere. There was an annoying ringing in Meine's ears and she closed her eyes when she felt Fai tighten his hold on her waist.

When the ringing stopped, she opened her eyes and found herself in front of the gates leading outside of Bit Fortress.

"That helped, thank you, Chii." Fai said as he let go of the girl who had both her hands against his chest. Meine felt the sharp stab in her chest again but she ignored it.

Chii pulled away and she walked towards the gate slowly. She closed her eyes and held her hands together as if she was saying a prayer. All of a sudden, she started to glow once again and the stone gates started to open slowly. The light that she emitted reached the sky and blinded Meine's eyes.

Meine closed her eyes and held out an arm in front of her face for protection when a strong gust of wind blew from the outside.

"No way…" she heard Fai said. She turned to look at his face to see that his expression was horror-stricken.

Fai moved to stand between Chii and the gate. "You can't go, Chii! If you pass through these gates you'll…" He looked at the girl with the same eyes that had stared at Meine last night. She felt her heart clench and beat loudly against her chest as if it was about to break.

A very strong blast of wind blew from behind the gate and Meine was blown away by it, moving back a few meters back. When she looked up, Chii wasn't glowing anymore and just stood there in front of Fai. Meine couldn't quite see her face but she could hear her voice perfectly.

"Fai, let's go together." she said. "Chii always wants to be with Fai."

"Run away…" she heard Chii say. Fai too seems to have frozen and was looking at her with wide eyes. She stepped forwards and threw herself into his chest. "Chii wants to be with Fai! Let's run together forever."

Meine couldn't look away and her hand clutched her chest. She felt like she was about to cry.

Fai started to raise his hands as he was about to hug Chii and with every inch that his arm raised Meine could feel a little bit of herself slip away. As if she wanted to push Chii out of the gates knowing that she was a created being that would disappear once she steps out of the walls of the city.

She watched as Fai froze with his arms almost half way around Chii and he placed it instead on her shoulders to gently push her away.

"Sorry, but I can't do that." he said, his voice sounded normal but his face looked pained. It was as if Fai really wanted to stay with Chii.

"Why?" Chii asked.

"Running away is a very harsh thing." he said with his smiling mask. They were acting as if Meine wasn't there and they were the only two people left… like lovers who are about to be separated.

"Together, we can divide the harsh things in half."

"Because we're together, the sad things may double."

Chii gasped and hugged Fai once again. From the tone of her voice, Meine could say that she was crying. "Chii doesn't understand! I don't want to understand what Fai is saying!"

They stood there for a moment, Fai just standing there while Chii sobbed and stained his suit.

Meine then heard two birds chirping and she saw two of them flying above Chii and Fai.

Chii looked up at the two birds and one landed on her hand.

"Let's go home. Everyone is waiting." Fai said with a smile.

"Fai!" she said and hugged him once again, this time Fai wrapped his arms around the girl and pulled her towards his chest.

Meine couldn't look from that point on, but she could see the sunlight appearing from behind the dark clouds and the night slowly disappears for the mean time.

Even before anyone could see her standing there, she immediately ran down the street and passed Syaoran, Sakura, Mokona, and Kurogane but she didn't dare to look back knowing that tears were already falling down from her eyes.

She didn't know how far she had already run but when she stopped, she felt someone tug on her hand and pull her back. She found herself crashing into a tall, broad chest.

Kurogane sighed and wrapped his arms around the girl in a comforting way. Meine didn't pull away but instead even gripped Kurogane's coat

"Why…?" she asked. "I don't understand… Why does my chest hurt so much?"

The ninja didn't reply and just let the girl cry her heart out, knowing that it was too much for a girl who has no experience in love to go through that situation.

"Just let it out." he said as he rubbed her back. "Everything's going to alright."

* * *

The next day, the travelers stood in front of Chii, Yukito, Touya, and the guardian spirits all wearing their original outfits. The night before their scheduled departure, Meine didn't say a single word and immediately went to bed.

She stood beside Kurogane staying as far away as possible from Fai even though it was impossible. He was just two feet away.

"Thank you very much, Fai-san." Kotoko said. "Everything has been well ever since Chii-sama has returned."

"It wasn't me." Fai said. "It's something Chii decided on her own."

Mokona's wings opened and it soared through the sky. A magic circle appeared underneath it and it slowly opened its mouth.

As they were about to be sucked in by the strong vacuum, Meine saw Kurogane turn to Fai and tell him something in a soft voice that the other two couldn't possibly hear.

"Hey mage," he began.

Fai looked up at him and smiled. "What is it, Kuro-puu?"

"If you don't hurry up and make a move on this princess here, I'll take her off your hands."

The blond man's eyes widened and Meine blushed lightly. She knew that they had intended to not let anyone else hear what they were saying, but her heightened senses could hear them perfectly.

She smiled a little at herself and her chest started beating loudly but she can tell it was different from yesterdays. She may not be able to understand why these things are happening, but she can tell that she'll one day find out.

_-chapter owari-_

_

* * *

_**heyzelle: **i have been addicted to gothic lolita clothes for this chapter, and me and my partner Meine-chan09 has found some amazing clothes for our character. So i have provided the links to meine's clothes here :D just for safety, **regular disclaimers still apply.** just copy paste it into your address bar (or at least that's what i think they call it)

Meine's original clothes: .com/servlet/the-255/Gothic-Lolita-cln--Neat-Square/Detail

Meine's clothes during her date with Kuro-pon: .com/servlet/the-655/Classical-Gothic-Lolita-Corduroy/Detail  
and for her coat: .com/servlet/the-349/Cutie-Gothic-Lolita-Sweet/Detail

thanks for reading! please read and review! and please continue and go with us until the end. (^^)


	5. V: Piffle World

_edited. some parts have been fixed. _

regular disclaimers apply.

please review m(^^)m 

i have to warn you, it is a little bit long though... but please read it until the end. you won't be disappointed. d(^^)b

**

* * *

V: Piffle World**

Meine was in a beautiful field filled with blooming flowers as far as the eye can see. She was just running around and appreciating its beauty and just falling back on the circular patch of grass and watch the clouds fly above her. Suddenly, she heard someone call her name.

"Meine." someone called repeatedly.

She knew that voice very well, but she can't seem to say its name.

A figure started to materialize in front of her and the field started to disappear slowly, disintegrating as the person materialized.

A tall man, probably as tall as Kurogane stood in front of her; he had dark hair similar to hers and pale green eyes that she always loved. He wore the long cape lined with fur around the neck and casual clothes from her country. He seemed to be looking at Meine with worry.

"Akemi…" she whispered.

He smiled lovingly at his little sister and stepped forward so he could touch her face. "Meine." he began. "I want you to return to Rosette immediately. You don't have to complete your mission to go to that place anymore."

Before she could even ask why the spirit of her deceased brother was telling her to go home, she had woken up by the sunlight coming into the room from outside her window.

She sat up and hugged her knees against her chest, thinking about what Akemi had said about returning to Rosette immediately.

She shook her head and decided to ignore it for how and dressed into the clothes that had been provided for her in the closet. It was just a plain, v-neck shirt with black shorts and a pair of knee-high boots that had to be laced, which she found to be frustrating. She also wore the pink jacket that she had found there and zipped it just up above her navel; a baby blue scarf, and she had to tie her hair in low twin pigtails and the black beret and pink goggles. She found the fashion in this world to be quite cute, but the shoes were a b other.

She stepped out of her bedroom and went outside to see the new world that they have arrived at in the morning.

There were a lot of tall buildings and floating screens here and there, vehicles that were called "Dragonflies" flew around at the same height of the tall buildings and roads where the cars ran. It was a breathtaking sight there, but that was not the problem as of the moment.

She looked at one screen nearest to where she stood as it showed an advertisement about a dragonfly race, and the grand prize is Sakura's feather.

Blocking her way from walking in a straight line were five dragonflies that they would use to win that race. They were run down and it needed new parts to fly properly and safely.

She walked towards the dragonfly that she would be driving and placed a hand on top of it. It was a beautiful aircraft and she was immediately mesmerized the minute she laid eyes on it. It was similar to Sakura's aircraft but instead of being white and had angel wings, hers was a little bit bigger, black in color and had black angel wings that spread out when in flight. She didn't know why but she liked it and seeing it side by side with Sakura's was adorable.

"Good morning, Meine-chan." someone whispered in her ear.

She jumped, not having felt a presence and she spun around to see Fai smiling at her, Kurogane a few meters away coming out from the front door along with Sakura and Mokona.

"Good morning, everyone." she said.

Syaoran didn't seem to be waking up any minutes now so the four of them decided to fix their vehicles.

Meine hesitantly approached Kurogane.

"Kurogane-san, can you please come with me to buy parts at the market?" she asked as she leaned on his dragonfly.

Suddenly, she felt someone glomp her from behind.

"Nee, Meine-chan. I'll go with you." Fai said in a sing song voice. She swore she saw him glare slightly at Kurogane before smiling back at Meine, but she could just be imagining it.

"O-okay, I guess. I only need someone to pay for it since I don't have money." she said with a sly smile as she watched Fai sweat drop.

* * *

The two of them walked around together in the hardware shop of the city. Fai was all smiles as usual and Meine tried her best to find the area where they sold the parts she needed.

"Meine-chan, there it is!" he said and pointed at the sign above. He dragged Meine inside and led her to an attendant.

"Excuse me," Meine said and handed them a piece of paper of the parts that they needed. "Can you please give me these flying parts?"

"Sure." The man said and disappeared for a moment only to return carrying a box filled with different parts or each of their dragonflies.

"Thank you very much." Meine said with a smile, handing him the card that she had taken from Fai. He crossed his arms after noticing the employee blush when he saw Meine.

"Are you going to use those parts for the Dragonfly Race?" another employee asked as he approached them.

Meine nodded.

The man who helped them looked at Meine with surprise and worry. "That race is dangerous! The Dragonfly Race is a hybrid race. Though the ships use electricity as well, the main power source is the wind! It's simple to navigate, but accidents happen depending on the weather condition! Gradually, people customized these ships so that they have greater capabilities It really very dangerous…"

Meine just smiled, causing the man to gasp. "Thank you very much for worrying about me, but I will still go on with the race."

She and Fai returned to the car and placed the box inside. She was about to sit on the passenger's seat when Fai held her wrist. "Nee, Meine-chan. How about I repay that ice cream that I owe you right now?"

Meine still hasn't talked to Fai that much ever since she had run away after seeing the scene with him and Chii, and she has been getting closer with Kurogane. But after hearing the word "ice cream", she immediately agreed.

Fai led Meine to an ice cream shop where he ordered the Belgian cone for her with cookies and cream inside it.

She ate her ice cream in less than 10 minutes, which Fai found amusing and adorable.

"How about we go around and explore town for the mean time? I'm sure those guys won't mind." Fai said with a smile. Meine agreed and she walked around to explore, letting Fai just tail behind her.

Fai followed Meine as his eyes never left her. As they were walking, Meine spotted an accessory shop in the corner and she walked towards it. Girly accessories of every kind where on the walls and Meine approached the necklaces that were displayed inside the clear, glass container. She looked at it for a moment and she walked away almost immediately.

The mage didn't really care what she was doing. He was watching her from a distance outside the store and he couldn't help but smile. Not his smile that he uses as a mask, but a real smile. A smile he thought he would never be able to do until they met.

The next store she went to was a stuffed toy shop a few stalls away. She entered the shop and smiled a little when she saw the different stuffed animals that varied in color and sizes. He noticed this and he watched Meine intently from outside.

She approached a medium sized bear, probably as big as half of her arm. It was black with big green eyes that looked real. It reminded her of Akemi for a moment. She also noticed a small bear keychain about as long as her hand. It was yellow in color and had small blue buttons for eyes. It also had a small white ribbon around its neck. It reminded her a bit of Fai, especially since the ears were a little pointy, but it still looked like a bear.

She looked at the price and sighed. She knew she didn't have this amount of money, since Fai had all of it. She returned it to the shelf and walked out of the store to meet Fai.

As they turned to the direction of the parking area, Fai looked back to the bear that Meine was just holding and he smiled.

They went back to the where the car was parked. Meine just sat there on the passenger's seat and looked out of the window. She glanced constantly at Fai and smiled inwardly. That bear really looked like him, and that for some reason made her want it more.

When they arrived, they noticed that the place in front of the house they were staying at where their dragonflies were filled with identical cars.

Meine jumped out of her seat and walked towards the table just outside their front door and immediately noticed a beautiful girl with long dark hair that was curled at the ends and was wearing a cute dress. She seemed to be a very important person since she had women dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses standing behind her.

"Oh." The beautiful girl said and looked at Meine and Fai with kind eyes and then went back to Sakura and Syaoran. "Who are they?"

Meine didn't wait or the two to introduce her. She felt her own habits get away with her whenever she met someone who seemed to be important. She bowed, not having to curtsy since she wasn't wearing a skirt. "I am Meine Liebe von Kreautz. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The girl stood up and curtsied back. "Likewise… I am Daidouji Tomoyo." she noticed Fai and she smiled at him.

Fai introduced himself to Tomoyo, who took his hand and touched his lips to it. Meine didn't find it as annoying as when he was with Chii, but she had to admit it made her a little jealous. She spotted Kurogane leaning against the frame of the house and just looking at Tomoyo with a small smile inside his eyes even though his face remained blank.

She approached him and leaned against the wall beside him. "Does she look like someone you know?" she asked.

He didn't bother to look down at her and just nodded. "She does…"

"Is it the princess/miko who sent you away to the Witch's shop."

He nodded again, his eyes never leaving Tomoyo as she animatedly talked to Sakura. Meine could tell that he was happy.

A thought entered her mind. What are the chances that she could meet a person that looks like Akemi in this world? Would he be the same person like her beloved older brother… or would he be different?

Suddenly, Tomoyo stood up from her seat and was holding Sakura's hand; dramatically raising hers and some of her body guards sprinkled flower petals on them.

"...I need my female star to make my debut appearance for me!" she said. The female guards around her clapped their hands and she curtsied.

Meine looked at Tomoyo then back at Kurogane and she smiled a little.

The next thing that happened was the four of them and Tomoyo together with the rest of the bodyguards were standing back and Sakura was on board her dragonfly and she was flying a few feet into the air. She was already a few meters away when her dragonfly stopped and started to lean to the right, dark smoke came out from the muffler and Sakura started falling down slowly to the ground.

"Princess!" Syaoran shouted and ran towards her.

The guards were sweat-dropping as they watched their young lady clap her hands together with an adorable smile . "She still looked very cute even though she was falling."

* * *

Later that night after Tomoyo had left; Syaoran was now teaching Sakura how to operate her dragonfly properly. The rest where inside the dining room and was watching them from the round window that had perfect view of them and they were each holding a bottle of local liquor in their hands.

Meine was sitting on one of the chairs, which was the most comfortable spot to spy on Sakura and Syaoran outside.

"Kuro-tan looked so happy this afternoon." Fai said as he took his own bottle of liquor and sat on one of the chairs beside Meine. "Is it because of Tomoyo-chan? Does she look like the princess in your world?"

Meine stood up from her seat and went to the kitchen to throw away her empty bottle and get some of that sake that they had gotten when they arrived here. She didn't bother getting a glass anymore and just popped the cover off and just drank it straight from the bottle. When she walked back to the dining room, she heard Kurogane and Fai still talking.

"You still haven't met that someone from your world, haven't you?" she heard Kurogane's voice ask. "The reason you must keep on running away…" She peeked and looked at them; he was standing by the window and was holding his drink while Fai was sitting on the chair. "It's the same face but it's not necessarily the same person."

She looked at Fai and his aura seemed to change. He wasn't smiling and his tone of voice was different. It was as if for a moment all his walls that hid everything were down. "I would know." he said. "If it's just the same face or if it's the same person. I would know…"

Meine stepped into the room and Fai went back to normal. She sat back on her seat and leaned her head against the table.

"Kurogane-san is so lucky…" she whispered. The two men looked down at her and waited for her to continue. "For Kurogane-san to actually meet a person who looked similar to the one they loved… I wish I could meet someone who looked like _him _too."

Suddenly they heard a loud scream from outside, a loud crash and the house shook; making Meine and Fai fall off the table. Luckily, Meine was holding the bottle of sake and did not spill a drop.

The three of them peek out of the front door and saw that Sakura had crashed into the house but she was still in one piece. Syaoran on the other hand was panicking and was running towards her.

* * *

It was the day of the preliminaries, and the group was already at the starting point, their dragonflies all ready to go.

Meine was still checking her own dragonfly that Mokona had named "Dark Wing" because of its black angel wings just to make sure that everything would be alright. She wore a dress that had red patches on the side, a low neckline with a high collar, and a red belt. She also wore a red scarf around her neck, matching goggles on her head and white, knee-high boots. Her hair was tied into a half ponytail, since she wanted to feel the wind blow on her hair.

"Well, looks like the race would be split into two!" Fai said as he and Syaoran returned from getting the rules from the registration table.

Even before Fai could further explain, Tomoyo approached them, once again surrounded by those bodyguards of hers. "This race will be split into a preliminary contest and a final contest. Today we will be holding the preliminaries. The winners will be able to proceed onto the finals."

The sound of the trumpets began and Meine entered her own dragonfly, checking for the last time. The announcer had mounted his floating stand.

"Okay everyone, the race is starting!" he said loudly into his microphone. "Now the contestants are making their last preparations in order to do their best for the magical prize that awaits them! But if they cannot make it into the top 20 in the preliminaries, they cannot continue on to the finals!"

Meine was looking around when her eyes landed on one particular contestant. He had dark hair and pale green eyes. She stood up from her seat to get a better view of the man. He was about as tall as Kurogane and his eye looked kind and gentle eyes.

"…Akemi." she said under her breath as she continued to observe him. She snapped out of it and shook her head. "It may look like him, but it's not him."

"Alright everyone!" said the announcer. "Thanks for waiting, the race is about to begin! Waving the checkered flag is the young president of our Piffle World's proud trading company, "Piffle Princess" –Daidouji Tomoyo!"

Meine took this as a sign and pulled down her goggles over her eyes.

Tomoyo waved the black and white checkered flag and every participant flew off the platform.

"Now, the dragonfly race begins! Who will win this amazing prize? All the contestants today seem to be in great shape."

Meine kept on checking Sakura and Syaoran who were far behind on her side mirrors and she was also distracted by Akemi who was flying right in front of her, but she flew side by side Fai.

It seems that Kurogane was also doing the same thing, checking on Sakura every now and then. Fai took this as an opportunity and they both flew on either side of Kurogane's dragonfly.

"You're worried for Sakura-chan? How sweet—!" he teased.

Kurogane sped up and left the two of them behind. Fai motioned Meine to follow her and she does. The ninja just sneered at the two of them. "Haven't you two ever realized that this is a race? Stop messing around!"

Fai just laughed. "Nee, Meine-chan. How about we say goodbye to Kuro-tan?"

"Way ahead of you!" Meine said and she stepped hard on the gas pedal and she sped off past a few contestants. "See you!" she said over her shoulder as she waved back at them.

"This preliminary contest follows a free-for-all style!" the announcer said. "Oh! Who just suddenly appeared—?" a lot of dragonflies appeared from behind the clouds. "As I thought, it's the leading regulars group in the "Dragonfly Race"—! But who's coming up in the back…?"

Meine looked at her rearview mirror and saw Fai and Kurogane appear from behind the clouds.

"Two new entries have caught up: the "Tsubame" and "Kuro-tan!"

Meine laughed loudly after hearing the name.

She felt something coming her way and she instinctively moved to evaded it. It felt like a really strong gust of wind powerful enough to destroy your lightweight dragonflies. Many of the flying vehicles around her were obliterated to smithereens and the pilots were drifting to the ground as they were attached to their parachutes. She looked back to see Fai and Kurogane avoid it as well.

"What's this? A sudden windstorm?" the announcer said. "What an abrupt emergency, many contestants are forced to forfeit."

She looked back to see Sakura doing a turn in mid-air that even had Meine impressed.

"That's amazing!" the commentator announced. "The new entry, "Wing Egg", does a spectacular turn in midair.

Numerous spotlights aimed Tomoyo and she was holding a sphere-shaped container up above her head. She was standing on top of her float that she called the "Piffle Go!"

As soon as Meine could see through the lights, she noticed that a feather similar to Sakura's was inside it, but at the same time it wasn't. Even after seeing it, she didn't feel a wave of any sort. It must have been a replica of the feather.

The announcer was practically screaming at his microphone and it was starting to annoy Meine. "Our championship prize: the energy battery!"

A beam of light shot out of the container that Tomoyo was holding and it went to the direction of the tower not far from where Meine was. There was no one there in front of her to get in her way.

"That light to the tower indicates the preliminary contest's goal! The "Dragonfly Race" is still going on furiously! Who will this magical everlasting energy battery? This is the energy battery rumored to be able to supply enough for an entire city!"

"It's just a fake." Tomoyo said with a small giggle.

Meine ignored all of what was happening around her and let her playful and competitive side get in the way of the race. She stepped hard on the gas pedal and she shot like a speeding bullet towards the finish line. She heard the announcer say her dragonfly's name and she could resist the urge to scream happily. Her hair was blowing out behind her and she felt really happy and free, even though she knew that what she was doing was quite dangerous.

She was the first one to pass the finish line and she landed safely on the ground. Shortly behind her were Kurogane, Fai, and then the Akemi of Piffle. Meine's eyes were locked on Akemi's form when something happened.

The machines that were still in the air started to explode and some of the contestants' dragonflies got obliterated and they had to parachute themselves out. Syaoran and Sakura were still in there…

"What's happening now?" the announcer asked into the mic.

Meine tore her eyes away from Akemi and looked at the screens, it seems that Syaoran was safe and had passed the finish line with nine spaces left. But Sakura was still inside that dust cloud that caused almost all of the flying vehicles to explode.

Meine walked towards the rest of her company and watched Sakura as she approached the finish line along with the Yuzuriha from this country as they battled for the last remaining spot for the 20 contestants that are going to the finals.

It was a close battle, the two of them almost ending at the same time.

"We will decide the final space based in the video." the announcer said and the video replayed on all the screens. "And the last finalist is…" Sakura's dragonfly was able to cross the finish line first with only a few centimeter differences from Yuzuriha. "…the "Wing Egg"!"

There were colorful confetti everywhere and the audience was cheering loudly.

"I guess we passed the preliminaries." Kurogane said.

"…All five of us." Fai added.

"This is going to be good…" Meine smirked and she pulled off her goggles, showing the fire burning in her eyes from excitement.

* * *

That night, the five of them and their adorable mascot that was Mokona were invited to an after party for the preliminaries. Everyone who was in the finals was invited into the penthouse of a tall building.

"Everyone, please enjoy this banquet that I have prepared for you." Tomoyo said as she raised her glass. "Let as all raise our glasses for the success of the 20 finalists!"

Meine raised her cocktail glass and her eyes landed on the buffet table filled with different kinds of sweets. There was a chocolate fountain with different kinds of fruits and marshmallows to dip in. There were thermoses full of hot chocolate and different pastries that had chocolate in them. At the end of the table were just plates full of different kinds of chocolates.

Fai happened to see Meine looking at the chocolate buffet table with eyes as big as saucers. "Uh oh." he muttered to himself and walked towards the girl. "Meine-chan, if you eat too much, you might get cavities and gain a few extra pounds."

Meine's stared daggers right at the mage. "Say that once again, and I will kill you!"

She ignored the mage and walked towards her table of heaven. Just as she was about to take the only chocolate cornet left on the table, she happened to be taking the same bread as the person in front of her. She looked up and saw the Akemi of this world with his hand outstretched.

Meine pulled away and held her other hand tightly against her chest. "S-sorry." she whispered and looked down.

He just laughed and handed Meine the bread. "Hey, you're the girl who won first place earlier! My name's Akemi, what's yours?"

She fidgeted with a strand of hair that was on her shoulder and she bowed. "My name is Meine."

"Meine-san, that's such a wonderful name." he said with a gentle smile and offered that they take more from other buffet tables, but Meine stayed there. "I never expected that such a pretty girl like you would be able to place first. You don't look like the tough-girl type."

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was a little bit annoyed at herself for being too conscious around this world's Akemi.

He was kind and gentle, just like her older brother. He waited patiently for Meine to finish taking all the chocolate she could see in a plate and take a cup of hot chocolate before they both walked to the seats by the window. She set down her plate on the table and she just kept on popping the bonbons and other sweets into her mouth one by one.

Akemi just watched her and smiled. "You love chocolates, don't you?"

Her face turned bright crimson as she pushed the chocolate stuck in her throat with the creamy hot chocolate. "Sorry…"

He shook his head and leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. "No, no. It's actually adorable. Seeing a pretty girl like you eating chocolate so happily… I dont' know why, but it somehow seems nostalgic."

Meine looked down and she remembered her own deceased brother and how she and he would always bond with chocolate. The two of them would always ask the servants nicely to give them chocolate and Akemi would just watch Meine eat most of it while she told him a story of what had happened in the garden or she would tell him her dreams.

Akemi kept on making small talk and actually reached his hand to play with Meine's hair, which she found to be a little bold, but she actually kind of liked it.

"Hey, Meine-san." he said.

"You can call me Meine."

"Then, Meine... This may sound weird, seeing as I just met you but I need you to close your eyes. I want to show you something." he said with a huge grin.

Though hesitant at first, Meine nodded and closed her eyes. She felt the scarf around her neck disappear only to be tied lightly around her head to cover her eyes. Her face turned light pink when she felt Akemi take her hand and pull her somewhere. She didn't know where they are, but she can tell that they were outside because of the sudden change of temperature and the sound of the music was suddenly muffled.

"Where are we?" she asked, trying to see with her hands. She felt someone hold both her hands and she was pulled gently to walk a few more steps.

The hold on her hands left and her scarf was untied from her eyes. "Look there." he whispered to her ear.

Meine turned her head and opened her eyes, only to see the most beautiful thing she could see in a city. The buildings were all lit up and there were no dragonflies or cars in the air. It was just the buildings and orange-hued sky.

"It's pretty…" Meine whispered as she leaned on the railing. "I never thought that a city like this would be this nice…"

Akemi smiled. "I'm glad that you like it."

The two of them stayed like that for a while, Akemi just watching Meine who was looking at the skyline in front of her. Even though no one was saying anything, Meine wasn't uncomfortable. It really was just like when she was younger…

"Meine." he said, making Meine look at him. "If it's alright with you, can we hang out again tomorrow?"

Meine was a little surprised and she smiled back at Akemi. "I'd like that."

Then something she wasn't expecting happened. His smile slowly disappeared and he was slowly leaning forward as if he was about to kiss her. He was hesitating as was leaning slowly, waiting for Meine to move away.

She was frozen stiff on her spot and she was panicking a little inside her head. She loved the Akemi in her world, more than she could ever think of. But this was too much; she and this Akemi had just met almost half an hour ago.

Meine stayed in place and closed her eyes slightly and watched as Akemi was leaning forward, his hand reaching down to hold her hand and wrap his long fingers around it. It was warm, just like her Akemi…

"Meine-chan." a voice that she knew well said with a barely noticeable hint of annoyance in the tone.

She opened her eyes and pushed away only to see Fai, Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona standing by the doorway. Syaoran and Sakura were both blushing as they were looking at them, Mokona was whistling, Kurogane was as stoic as ever and was just looking at her with his arms crossed. What she couldn't understand was Fai. He seemed pissed and he was hiding it behind his smile.

"Meine-chan." Fai said, putting a smile on his features. "It's getting late, so we should probably head home now."

Meine looked back to Akemi, not quite looking at his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Akemi-san."

He smiled and motioned her towards the rest of her companions. "Of course."

She bowed and went to them. They were half way out of the ballroom when Akemi called Meine. She turned around of course, as well as her other companions.

Meine turned around and at that moment, Akemi had took hold of her wrist and his hand wrapped around her waist and one of his hands was on the nape of her neck. The next thing she knew, she was being kissed. Her eyes were wide open in shock and her hands froze half way around him.

After a few seconds, he pulled away and he set Meine down on her feet. Her face was as red as a beet. This was the first time Akemi, or at least someone who was him but not him at the same time, kissed her… and what she was feeling as of the moment is too much for it to be described by words.

"That was for the kiss we were supposed to have before we were disturbed." he whispered to her ear. "I'll pick you up tomorrow around nine."

Kurogane said and pulled Meine away. "Okay, okay. We have to leave now, or these two kids will faint from what you're doing to her."

He pointed at Syaoran and Sakura over his shoulder and she noticed that their face was also beet red and it was as if their faces were smoking. She got a glimpse of Fai who was looking away and his long blond hair covered his eyes.

"See you tomorrow then, Meine." Akemi waved with a smiled.

They walked to the parking area, where they entered the car that was given to them. Meine sat at the backseat by the window, looking outside the window and just staring at the buildings as they passed by.

Syaoran and Sakura who happened to be beside her kept looking at her while Mokona jumped onto her lap.

"Meine's got a boyfriend!" Mokona teased. Her face turned bright red and she looked down.

"He's not my boyfriend…" she replied softly, glancing at Sakura and Syaoran and noticed that they too were smiling. "He just looks like someone I really know."

"Does he look like someone you know from your world, Meine?" Mokona asked again with a huge smile on its face.

She couldn't stop her face from turning even redder than before. She nodded slowly and swallowed the lump in her throat. "In my world, Akemi was my fiancé… and he was also my older brother."

She heard Sakura and Mokona gasp beside her.

"What do you mean by "was"?" Sakura asked.

Meine sighed a little. "The Akemi in my world died before we were getting married… he was killed." The creature on her lap was starting to get teary and Sakura was looking at her with worry. "Sorry, it's a topic that I don't want to delve in too deeply."

They arrived at their house after a few short minutes of silence inside the car. Meine immediately went to her room, carrying Mokona in her arms. Before closing the door behind her, she said goodnight to them loudly down the stairs.

Mokona bounced on top of Meine's bed and waited for the girl to lie down beside the rabbit-like creature. She curled up on the bed and hugged Mokona close to her chest.

"Are you okay, Meine?" Mokona asked.

"Yes..." Meine rubbed her cheek against Mokona. "Thank you, Mokona."

* * *

Fai leaned against the wall in front of Meine's room. In his mind, he was debating whether or not he would go inside the room and interrogate Meine on what this world's Akemi is to her. But then she doesn't belong solely to her. It's not like he had asked her out or anything… she doesn't belong to him, and that pained him a little.

"What are you just standing there? Why don't you just go in?" Kurogane said as he appeared from down the stairs and stood in front of him.

Fai looked up and smiled at Kurogane. "Hello, Kuro-tan!"

Kurogane didn't reply and stopped in front of him. "I told you before in Bit Fortress that if you don't do anything, I'll take her off your hands." He saw with his peripherals that Fai flinched a little.

"She'll only get hurt if I try to court her. I don't want her to get involved with me." Fai said.

Kurogane just grunted and started walking to his room. "I'm just telling you, that if you don't do anything, the more that the two of you will get hurt. So before that happens, I'm going to have to steal her from you."

Fai stood there for a few more minutes before he took a deep breath and opened the door to Meine's room quietly. He stepped inside, not making a noise and went to kneel down beside her bed.

She was there, breathing slowly with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, hugging Mokona in her arms. She hadn't even changed her clothes yet and was still wearing the one she wore in the party.

He reached out slowly and carefully and moved her bangs back slowly so he could get a better view of her sleeping face. She groaned slightly in her sleep but she didn't stir and just cuddled Mokona, who in turn giggled and shifted.

Fai moved his hand to cup her soft cheek and feel the shape of her lips using his thumb, the lips that Akemi had just kissed. He stood up slightly and leaned forward to peck her cheek. After one last look at her, he noticed that a tear escaped her eye and he wiped it away.

"Please don't cry, Meine-chan…"

He left the room after that.

* * *

Meine woke up the next morning excited knowing that Akemi would pick her up at around 9. She took a long bath and she dressed into the new clothes that she and Sakura had bought after receiving the prize money of getting into the finals of the "Dragonfly Race".

She wore a plain gray tank top with lace trimmings at the bottom, a gray/white/black plaid miniskirt, and a beige jacket with a high collar and ¾ sleeves. She wore new, high-heeled, black fitting boots that reached up to just above her ankles to match her clothes.

"Cute!" Mokona commented and whistled repeatedly.

Meine smiled. "Thank you, Moko-chan!"

The door bell rang and Meine jumped slightly. She took one last look at her reflection in the mirror and parted her hair at the middle behind her back and placed it over her shoulders to keep it from flying all over the place.

Meine ran down the stairs and peeked at the dining room to see Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, and Kurogane sitting there on the table eating breakfast. "I'll see you guys later!" she said with a smile.

"Have fun." Sakura replied and waved.

She took a deep breath before opening the front door and smiled at the person at the door. His dark hair the same shade as Meine's hair was pushed back and he had dark glasses covering his green eyes.

"Good morning!" he greeted and smiled at her. "You look pretty today."

Meine blushed a little bit and smiled back. "G-good morning!"

Akemi walked towards a car and opened the door to the passenger's seat for her. Meine sat down entered the car and waited for him to sit down before asking. "Hey, Akemi-san, where are we going today?"

He just smiled and leaned forward as if about to kiss her, but he was just taunting her. He noticed that she cringed a little and he just gave a small laugh before pulling the seat belt from behind her right shoulder and locked it in place. "You'll see." Her face was beet red again, and Akemi found that cute.

"Where are we going?" she repeated.

Akemi just smiled and patted her hair lightly that made Meine feel like a kid. "Just be patient, I'll show you something nice."

Meine just sat there quietly and exchanged glances with Akemi that made her face flush, but other than that it was a quiet ride. They arrived at a garage on top of a tall building at the edge of the city. She could tell because in the distance she could see lots of trees in the distance.

"We're here." he said and opened the door for Meine.

"Where are we? and what are we doing here?"

"I told you, I wanted to show you something." Akemi said. He took a small remote out of his pocket and the garage door opened. Inside was his dragonfly that he was obviously tuning up. The engine's cover was open and there were parts scattered on the floor. It also looked different form the time she first saw it during the preliminaries. The color was now all black and it looked like it was just the primary coating, but nonetheless, it looked cool.

"Amazing." Meine said and approached to see it better. "You fixed this yourself?"

Akemi smiled proudly and placed a hand on top of the hood. "I decided to give this thing a tune up, and I just wanted to show it to you."

Meine circled the dragonfly and looked at it with envy. Almost all parts are new and she had the sudden want of flying it up in the air. "Akemi-san… this might sound demanding of me, but… can we fly this thing?"

He smiled and nodded. "I was hoping you'd ask! I wanted you to ride my masterpiece."

He took a few minutes in screwing the cover of the engine tightly before handing Meine the keys. "How about I let the first placer of the Dragonfly Race drive my precious aircraft?"

Meine took the keys and opened the door. She waited for Akemi to get on the passenger's seat beside her before inserting the key into the hole.

The engine growled awake and Meine could feel the rumble under her seat. She pressed the gas lightly while still in brake and it revved loudly. She looked at Akemi with wide eyes filled with excitement. "Can I?"

He nodded and strapped on his seatbelt. "Feel free; just don't get into any accident."

She nodded and pushed the gas pedal fully and they took off in the air. Meine could feel the strong wind current blowing her hair behind her, creating a trail and she had both hands on the steering wheel.

"Yeah!" she shouted and circled the building a few times before stopping at least above the building, just hovering above it. "Your aircraft is amazing. It's as light as a feather!"

After a few more minutes of flying around the building, Meine brought the dragonfly down back to the ground.

"That was fun." Meine said and opened the door this time as she went out of the car after parking it back in the garage. That was exhilarating, and she wanted more.

"I'm glad you liked it." he said wrapped a hand on her shoulder and pulled her out of the garage and back to the car they used to get there. "How about we have enough of aircrafts and dragonflies and we go out to eat somewhere? It's almost lunch time."

Meine had to look up just to see his face. "Okay."

They drove to the same place Meine and Fai went to buy missing parts for their dragonflies, but Akemi brought her to the part of the mall where she had never been to before. It was lined with fancy shops and expensive restaurants, and people were dressed so extravagantly that Meine felt underdressed.

She unconsciously reached for Akemi and inserted her arm into the crevice between his arm and his body and clung on to him like how she does when she was a little girl. She realized that she did this when she felt him flinch slightly but relax when he noticed what she did.

She pulled her arm away, her face turning light pink. "Sorry I did that! It was just a habit."

He smiled and shook his head. "It's fine." He stuck out his elbow for her to hold and Meine slowly reached out to insert her arms once again.

Akemi and Meine entered a restaurant that was big and really fancy, at least for Meine. They were led to a table at the back where they wouldn't be seen in the front and Meine sat right in front of him.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked while he skimmed the menu.

Meine took the menu from the waiter and read a few. "Are you sure we should eat here? Isn't it a little…expensive?"

"Don't worry, order anything you want. I invited you out, so it's reasonable that I get to pay for the meal."

"O-okay then…"

* * *

The two of them stepped out of the restaurant after eating lunch and the two of them decided to go for a walk. They went to the part of the mall where she and Fai went to the other day. They passed by the accessory shop once again and she stopped in front of it.

"What's wrong, Meine?" Akemi asked and walked back towards her and leaned forward so he could see her face clearly.

"Is it alright if I check something?" she asked, not bothering to even wait for a reply and just went inside.

She walked towards the counter and looked at the different kinds and types of jewelry inside the glass container, but a particular choker with a beautiful pendant caught her eye and for some reason reminded her of the Dimensional Witch Yuuko-san.

She asked the person behind the counter to take it out so that she could see it better.

It was a thick black lace-like material that looked durable and won't break easily. It is finished off with a silver chain going around the back and was locked using a lobster clasp. It is decorated with a silver oval filigree charm in the middle which has an oval-cut pink topaz in the middle of the charm. A large pale pink bead dangles from the bottom of the choker.

As Meine was mesmerized by said jewelry and she stared and took in every detail of it, Akemi looked around the store and saw a necklace displayed at the counter that was farthest from Meine. It was a pear-shaped pink amethyst that rests in a 3-prong setting and suspends temptingly from a fleur-de-lis banded with round diamond accents in a 4-prong setting. The 10 karat rose gold chain added to the charm of the piece.

"What are you looking at?" Meine asked as he crept up behind him.

He stood up straight and smiled at Meine, pretending like nothing had happened. "You're not going to buy it?"

She shook her head. "No, I was just looking."

They walked out of the store, but Akemi can't take that necklace out of his mind. Meine has once again dragged him inside another shop where they sold different gadgets and gizmos from the Piffle Company. "Meine, you go ahead inside. I'll find you. I just need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay." Meine replied with a smile and went inside the shop.

Akemi took this as a chance and ran back to the jewelry shop to buy the necklace and had it placed in a square box where it wouldn't be shaken. He immediately placed it carefully inside his pocket on his jacket and went back to the shop where Meine was.

Meanwhile, Meine was standing outside the shop waiting for Akemi to arrive. She spotted him running towards her waving his hand. She waved back and smiled.

"Sorry for making you wait."

* * *

Akemi once again took Meine to different famous landmarks of the city and they didn't notice how the time flew until the saw that the sun was already at the west and it was already about to set. By that time, they were in a park where there was perfect view of the setting sun.

The setting sun made the clear sky turn orange and Meine could not help but look and smile.

"Meine." Akemi began. She looked up to see his eyes. She waited patiently for him to say something. "Close your eyes."

"Eh?"

"Just please… close your eyes."

Meine closed her eyes and let Akemi do what he wanted to do. She gasped when she felt something cold and hard touch her chest. She opened her eyes and looked down and saw a beautiful necklace with a jewel almost the same color as her eyes. She touched it and looked at Akemi then back again to the necklace.

"…It's beautiful…" she whispered. "But why…?"

Akemi took both of Meine's hand and held it tightly between his. "I know we've only known each other for a few days, but it feels like I've known since forever… This might sound weird but… I like you, Meine."

He leaned in forward and they shared a kiss as the sun set. But something felt wrong for Meine.

Suddenly, Fai's face flashed inside her mind and she pushed Akemi away. "No…" she whispered.

He looked at her with a sad smile. "You're in love with someone else are you?"

Meine's eyebrows furrowed and her hands clutched her chest. "I'm not sure… I'm sorry."

He sighed and gave a shaky laugh and he hit his head lightly with his hand. "I feel like an idiot…" he laughed and he turned away from her. "I'm sorry for pushing myself onto you… but I really do have feelings for you."

She looked down and started to unhook the necklace off her neck. "I should probably return this."

He turned to face her and held her wrist to stop her. "No… I still want you to have it. I already gave it to you." He smiled and leaned forward and let his forehead touch hers. "Consider is at as payment for the kisses that I gave you."

"But isn't it a little uncalled for? I mean, this thing is expensive…"

"Please, keep it. I bought it for you. I have no other reason of buying it."

Meine wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you… for everything."

* * *

Akemi opened the door for Meine when they arrived back in her house. He even walked her to the door and knocked twice at the door for her.

Fai opened the door and he looked at Meine with a smile. She could smell the faint smell of alcohol coming from him. "Meine, welcome home!" he chimed.

"I'm home."

She entered the threshold and turned around to face Akemi. "Thank you." she whispered. He seemed to be looking at Fai but he quickly looked back at Meine.

"I'll see you some other time then."

"…Okay then…"

He then left and Meine watched him leave with worried eyes.

"Meine-chan!" Fai said and hugged her from behind. She jumped slightly and leaned back unconsciously to his body. She could smell liquor in his breath when he breathed in her ear. "I missed you."

Her face flushed but she didn't try to move away. He noticed the chain around her neck and he touched it lightly. "What's this?" he asked.

"It's a necklace from Akemi-san."

She noticed him pout slightly and he laid his head on her shoulder. She ignored this and walked to the kitchen, Fai still clinging onto her. She saw Syaoran and Sakura together with Mokona slumped over in one corner asleep from the booze that they were drinking. Kurogane was still in his chair holding for what seemed to be his fourth bottle and yet he still looked sober.

"Hey." Meine greeted and sat down on the free space on the couch enough for Fai and her.

He just grunted and offered Meine a drink which she humbly refused. He then noticed the glint of light reflecting off Meine's necklace. He just smirked and took another swig from his bottle. "Nice rock."

"Thanks I guess." She said and pried Fai's arms off of her waist. He whined like a sad puppy and scrambled for his drink on the table. Meine could tell he was just acting so she didn't bother helping him.

"I'm going to bed." she said before walking up the stairs.

As soon as she had the door closed and she had tossed her jacket to the bed, she heard a knock on the door.

Fai stood there in front of the door and he didn't look like he was tipsy or anything like that. Without another word, he entered Meine's room and dropped on the bed.

"Fai-san?"

She walked towards the bed and his hand shot out and he pulled her down. She was now lying on the bed beside him, her face as red as beets. She was about to kick him out when she noticed he was now breathing slowly. He seems to have fallen asleep.

She pulled away and sat up from her bed when she noticed that Fai was shifting to his side. She rolled her eyes and stood up to change. Her tank top was almost half-way off of her head when Fai's arms shot out from behind her and she was against his chest.

"F-Fai-san? What are you doing?"

"Meine-chan, do you like Akemi-san?" he asked. Meine could his breathing at the back of his neck through her hair. She tried to break free but he wouldn't budge. "Answer me, Meine-chan."

Meine was starting to get pissed. She swiftly bent forward and flipped Fai to the bed where he bounced a few times before he stopped. His breathing returned to normal since then and she felt a vein popping out on her forehead.

"What the hell was that?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and changed into her sleep wear and harshly moved Fai so that he was lying straight on one side of the bed. Meine went to the other side and stretched her arms before plopping down on her bed, at least 12 inches away from Fai's unconscious body. She was still wearing the necklace that Akemi had given her around her neck.

She turned off the lights and she sighed, shifting to face Fai who was now sleeping peacefully, or at least Meine thought he was. The lights from the city outside the window illuminated his seraphic face. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep.

Her hand moved to touch his cheek lightly. _"I wonder if I really am falling for this person…"_ she thought to herself. As soon as she pulled the blanket on top of them, her eyes started to feel heavy and she unconsciously moved towards the warm body close to her.

The last thing she saw when she was still conscious was Fai's face centimeters away from hers.

"Good night… Fai…san…"

Her breathing started to slow and she finally drifted off to sleep.

That moment, Fai's eyes slowly opened and he smiled at the sight of the sleeping girl's face in front of her. He sat up slowly and pulled the blanket up until her shoulders and placed his arm under her head and he pulled her towards his chest. He breathed in the sweet scent of her hair and lightly kissed her forehead.

He lightly touched the small pink amethyst gem around her neck and sighed. "Really…the moment I take my eyes off of you for just a second, someone else comes along and takes you out of my grasp… I really just can't let anyone else take you away, can I?"

* * *

Meine woke up early the next morning and she was alone on her bed. It seems that Fai has gotten up earlier than she has. She went to the bathroom inside her room to take a quick shower before dressing into a pink fitting blouse, a mid-waist pink pleated mini skirt with a long black ribbon for a belt, and pink flats that matched her skirt. She also wrapped a thin pink scarf around her neck and used a pair of sunglasses as a headband.

The necklace that she still wore rested on her chest. She ran a brush through her hair before going down the stairs.

"Good morning." she greeted. Syaoran, Sakura, Mokona, and Fai were the only ones there as of the moment, and it looked like Syaoran and Sakura were heading out.

"Good morning, Meine-chan." Sakura greeted. "We're going to buy some stuff. Would you like to join us?"

Meine smiled at her. "Sure, why not?"

The four of them, Mokona included, left after eating breakfast. Syaoran drove all the way to the mall while Sakura talked happily about what they needed to buy.

"… Next we have to buy some sake." she continued.

"Sakura looks so happy!" Mokona chimed. "Is it because we all got into the finals?"

"That's just one of the reasons…" Sakura said with a smile. "It's also because I had a very happy dream last night!"

"Dream…?" Meine asked.

"I dreamt someone was holding my hand."

Meine noticed Syaoran almost fall face forward on the steering wheel. He had a small blush on his cheeks and she couldn't help but find it adorable.

"I don't remember very clearly, but I knew it was a good dream. So I've been happy ever since I woke up." Sakura said, her smile reached her ears and she looked so happy."

Syaoran parked in the space in front of the part of the mall where they sold liquor. As they were about to exit the car, a child who happened to pass by shouted at a very loud voice that all the people around them turned.

"Look! It's those three people from the "Dragonfly Race" yesterday!" the child gasped and ran towards Meine. "…and you're the one who won first place!"

People started to crowd around them, mostly kids, and mostly around Meine. "I saw you on TV! Good luck!"

Meine slowly backed away and followed Sakura and Syaoran who had escaped. She walked beside them and they continued on with their purpose for going to the mall: to buy supplies.

"God, that was exhilarating...and scary." Meine said as she walked slower to match their pace.

"Yes, it was surprising." Sakura said.

"Yeah, the contest went live on television." Syaoran explained.

Suddenly, the three of them were surrounded by men wearing all black with scarves and had goggles over their eyes; and there was no way out. Syaoran unthinkingly used his body to shield the two girls, and Meine did her own part by holding Sakura as far away as possible from the men and kept her safe.

"So you're qualifiers for the "Dragonfly Race" finals, huh?"

"What do you want?" Syaoran asked and stepped back towards Sakura, Meine, and Mokona.

"We just want a little chat with you. Do you mind?" a voice said and their leader stepped out from behind the shadows together with the rest of his gang. Meine noticed that some of these guys were also in the Hanshin Republic and she could not help but feel déjà vu.

It was really, really déjà vu when Meine recognized who their leader was.

"Shogo-san...?" Syaoran said, also recognizing the man.

The man looked at him with confusion, never having met the boy and his companions before. He decided to disregard it and continued on with his business. "I'd really like for you to come with us for a moment."

"Why?"

"Come with us and I'll tell you." he said, crossing his arms and looking at Syaoran with a smirk.

"We're still shopping…"

"The stores will still be open after we talk."

Syaoran did not back down and looked at Shogo with determined eyes. "Someone is waiting for us."

"Well, maybe you need convincing." He raised his arm and the men around him lunged forward and circled them on top of their floating skateboards. They held rods that Meine could tell just by looking at it that it were dangerous.

A guy wearing a funky hat swung his rod at Meine and Sakura. Syaoran tried to block it with a kick but Meine was quicker. She pulled the man off his flying machine by his wrist and twisted him so that his face was on the ground and his arm was still being held by Meine.

"Ouch!" he complained, his arm getting twisted in a painful way. "Let go, let go!"

Meine took the rod from his hand and let go of the man. "Be careful, Syaoran-kun. Those rods give out an electric current that would paralyze whatever part of your body connects with it."

Sakura gasped and looked at Syaoran with worried eyes.

Syaoran didn't seem to be threatened at all and very calmly thought of a way out. Meine didn't try to get in his way and just stopped Sakura from even trying to stop him, afraid that he might get hurt.

He closed his eyes and Meine watched him as he kicked all of their attackers off their floating boards just by their wrists.

Shogo looked at the three with disbelief. "He defeated the electrical rods just like that?"

"And note that he only hit their wrists."

Meine looked behind Shogo and saw three boys that looked like her age. They wore suits, except for the boy in the middle who wore a tail coat and an ascot. They were all handsome and looked prince-like that they reminded Meine of how the princes from other lands would come up to her and ask for her hand to dance during royal balls, or something like that.

The one in the middle was the one who spoke. He had beautiful, wavy, blond hair and bright blue eyes, like certain someone that they are travelling with. He had a smile on his lips and walked towards Sakura and Meine. He took out two white flowers from behind his back and handed one each to them.

"I am certain that these lovely young ladies are completely innocent." he said.

Meine, being polite took the rose but gave the boy an incredulous stare. Sakura and Syaoran also looked confused.

"Ah!" Mokona said, holding Sakura's flower for her. "You were one of the people who passed the preliminaries."

The boy looked at Mokona. "…Robot?"

Shogo stepped forward. "We are currently questioning all people who passed to figure out what happened yesterday." he explained.

"The race was filmed on TV, but they still couldn't explain why that happened. I have two high quality cameras. We…" –the blond boy motioned to the two boys behind him, one with navy blue hair and yellow eyes and the other one with matching raven hair and eyes—"…inspected the video we took but the only thing we're sure of that there was lightning powder in the air at that time."

"We thought maybe it was scattered before the race ended and the wind blew it back." Shogo said.

"What does that mean exactly?" Meine asked.

"This means that the guilty one is one of the 20 finalists who made it to the finals."

Sakura gasped.

"If you don't mind, we would like you to come with us to explain things further." The blond boy nodded.

Meine looked at Syaoran and their eyes met. No words were spoken but they understood each other. They agreed and they were brought to a restaurant called "Globefish" with a large blowfish on top of sign. That said restaurant was on top of several floating domes that varied in size per area. The largest dome had the ceilings that were half open since it was a fine day.

They were sat at the part of the restaurant near the countless floating screens.

After introductions, the blonde boy whose name is Imonoyama Nokoru went back to the topic at hand. They all sat in these egg-like seats around a table: Meine, Sakura, Syaoran, Shogo, and Nokoru.

"Everyone please watch this video." Nokoru said.

The four largest screens beside him that were adjacent to each other served as one really huge screen and showed the video of the race yesterday.

"This is what Akira-kun_ (Ijyuin Akira) _and Suoh-kun _(Takamura Suoh)_ filmed yesterday." he said.

"Wow!" Mokona said.

"Nokoru is the youngest son in the Imonoyama Zaibatsu Industry, which runs parallel to the Piffle Princess Company." Shogo elucidated. "He's in charge of the food department. Even this restaurant is owned by Nokoru."

"I've known Tomoyo-san from Piffle princess ever since I was little." Nokoru said and took a sip from his tea. "Since the "Dragonfly Race" is an important contest that is organized by Lady Tomoyo, we cannot allow any rule breakers."

Shogo nodded. "As a national guard of this country, I cannot ignore this either. That's why we are investigating the people who passed the preliminaries but…" he sighed and placed his hands on his fingers on his forehead. "…Nokoru always walks up every female finalist and declares that she's innocent."

He had a weird glint in his eyes and he bowed his head, his hand touching his chest in a dramatic way. "The existence of all females is my greatest joy."

Meine could not help but roll her eyes and look away. "What a charmer…" she muttered under her breath.

"Yesterday, many people forfeited in the middle of the race. And we saw the lightning powder suddenly…" Nokoru nodded at the two boys behind him and the video paused in the middle of the mid-air explosion. "Right here… a gust of wind from the finish line."

"After calculating when the powder was scattered and the direction of the wind, Nokoru concluded that the culprit must be one of the 20 who passed the preliminaries." Shogo said.

The screens changed and showed screenshots of the 20 finalists. Meine saw herself in one screen and she could not see her eyes in said picture since she was wearing her goggles. She also saw Fai and Kurogane's pictures and she laughed a little when she noticed that Fai was grinning stupidly.

"Who could be the culprit?" Nokoru asked in a serious tone.

It was silent for a moment. No one dared to speak, not Meine, not Sakura, not Syaoran or Mokona.

Suddenly, Nokoru's eyes became gentle and unserious. "I was right. You lovely ladies are innocent."

Meine looked at him with one eyebrow slightly raised as he knelt down and took her hand. He did the same with Sakura.

"You're innocent too, Syaoran-kun." he said as he stood up and took out an earpiece from his ear.

Meine crossed her arms. "What are you talking about?"

Shogo gave a short laugh. "These chairs are actually lie detectors."

She looked down at the seemingly normal chair and tried to look for any protruding wires, but she didn't find any.

Nokoru's two companions also took out their own earpiece. "After hearing the explanation, we detected some surprise but no anxiety. Heart rate and pulse rate were all normal." Suoh said.

"They all had the same reaction." the other boy named Akira said.

"This country has these things too?" Syaoran asked.

"They aren't perfect, but the accuracy is enough for me to brag about it." Nokoru said with a smile…but that smiled turned to a frown almost instantaneously. "However, if someone truly believes in the false stories that their mind generates, a real villain's lies are hard to detect."

"You were shopping, yet we forced you to stay." Nokoru continued, smiling once again. "We sincerely apologize."

They stood up and Meine took the liberty of picking up Mokona from the table.

"Thank you for the drinks." Sakura said with a bow.

As they were walking away out of the restaurant, Meine turned back to see them looking as they left.

* * *

They spent an hour shopping for necessities. Meine had enough money left to buy herself chocolate and other sweets that she could afford and it filled an entire round box that the person behind the counter gave her.

When they arrived at home, she immediately ran inside the house to place her chocolates inside the refrigerator so that it wouldn't melt. By the time she stepped outside, she saw Yuuko's image coming from the beam of light from Mokona's gem. She had apparently just called and Meine was just in time to see Mokona jumping up and down in front of them saying Yuuko's name.

"Well there's a little problem…" she said with a sly smile. "Where are your clothes?"

Kurogane looked at the witch with an annoyed expression. "Huh?"

"What happened to your original clothing?"

"We left it in the country of Shara." Syaoran said.

The country of Shara is the world that this group of travelers has been to before they arrived at Piffle. In that world they were separated: Syaoran and Sakura and Mokona were together, while Meine was stuck with Fai and Kurogane in the Souseki Temple where she had to dress up like a man and keep her hair in a braid so that she wouldn't be kicked out for being a girl. They were also transported to Shura by Mokona where her eyes were as black as the night and she couldn't understand a thing the two said. They had a battle on the moon where she had to fight with Syaoran's group until they had eventually changed the ending that was supposed to happen in Shura, resulting the future (which is Shara) to be different from what it used to be when they had arrived the first time.

"It's because that white meat bun keeps erratically sending us to different worlds." Kurogane grunted.

Meine sighed as she worried about the state of her original clothes. It was a good thing that she didn't leave her dagger when she had changed her clothes in Shara or that would've been a problem.

Yuuko smiled and stepped aside to show a rack where their clothes hung.

"Our clothes!" Meine said loudly and looked at her clothes together along with her hair tie hanging on a wooden hanger.

"I retrieved them from the country of Shara." she said. "But I won't be returning them to you."

"WHAT?" Kurogane screeched and a vein was popping out on his forehead.

"These are no longer your clothes. They're mine now. If you want them back, you have to pay the price."

"What must we give you?" Syaoran asked.

"Something equivalent in value to your clothes…" When the Dimensional Witch said that, Meine remembered the choker that she had seen in the shop. She knew then that she had found her payment. "When you think of something, have Mokona call me out. Until then I will be waiting."

"Ah!" she added. "If you take too long, you might not be able to redeem your clothes."

Meine's eyes opened wide in shock and she jumped when Kurogane started screaming at the witch. Syaoran too seemed to be panicking.

She noticed Sakura at the corner of her eye take a step forward towards Yuuko. "Um…"

Yuuko smiled gently at the girl; different from the sly smile she usually gives Kurogane. "Yes?"

"The first time we met, I was asleep. The second time, I was still in a trance-like state. Now that we meet again, I would really like to thank you." Sakura bowed down. "You kindly lent us Mokona. I'm really grateful."

"What do you think of your journeying?"

Sakura looked back at her companions and smiled. "I think it must be hard for one person, but because we travel together, it is better…it just that I keep falling asleep, so I'm not that helpful."

Suddenly, their conversation was cut to an end when a rattling sound and heavy footsteps came from Yuuko's end of the line.

"He's here…" she said. She looked back at them and the beam of light started to slowly blur, like a television that had lost its connection. "Goodbye now." She seemed to have remembered something and smiled slyly once again. "That's right… _white day_. If you make me wait past white day, you won't be able to redeem your Ginryuu, the tattoo, and the scar either."

With that, Kurogane had totally snapped and had started screaming insults at the witch with foul language even though she wasn't there anymore. Meine, Fai, Sakura, and Syaoran had all grouped together and asked each other if they knew about "white day."

Mokona bounced its way towards them. "Remember when we received chocolate from Yuuko?"

Meine picked up the bouncing creature and let it stand on her hands. "That was back when we were in Outo Country, right?"

Mokona giggled and nodded. "…because it was "Valentine's Day" in Mokona's world. "Valentine's Day" is when you give people yummy chocolates to eat. If you get a present during Valentine's Day, you return the favor on white day."

It took out the letter that Yuuko had sent before at Outo Country from its mouth and read it in front of them. "However, since you guys didn't give her anything, I think Yuuko is mad."

Meine let Mokona be taken away by Sakura who apparently still had a few questions about white day. She thought hard about her gift for the witch but the only thing showing up in her mind was the choker she had seen in the shop. She had spaced out in the process and she failed to notice Fai about to get pummeled by Kurogane.

"You guys sure look happy."

Meine looked up and saw Tomoyo on top of one of her huge flying vehicles with a pair of female body guards behind her.

They had invited Tomoyo inside their dining room and Fai dragged Meine to the kitchen to prepare tea. During the day of her date with Akemi, Fai, Mokona, and Sakura had backed a cake that looked mouth watering.

As Meine was pouring the tea inside the teacups, she heard the refrigerator door open and Fai had started slicing them and placed them in small plates. Her hand unconsciously reached out for one a slice nearest to her only to get her hand slapped away by Fai.

"I'll give you a big slice, so behave and don't touch it." he said.

Her lower lip stuck out a little and Fai found this adorable.

When Meine returned to the kitchen after bringing the tea to the guests, she returned the tray to the shelf when she was stopped by Fai when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and face him, only to see him pinch a big chunk from the cake and he pushed it inside Meine's slightly open lips. She gasped softly as she also felt his warm finger linger a little bit longer inside her mouth as she unknowingly licked some of the cream off of it.

"It's delicious!" she whispered to him and swallowed.

He just smiled and picked up the tray. "Thank you, but Sakura-chan and Mokona were the ones who mostly did all the work. I just supervised."

Meine took her seat beside the empty chair beside Sakura and happily waited for her promised big slice. As Fai set the plate in front of her with a big slice, he flashed a small smile before going to the seat at the end of the table to sit down.

"It's delicious!" Tomoyo exclaimed after taking a bite.

Mokona was standing in the middle of the table and had its own tea and cake. "Mokona made it with Sakura!"

The young president clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful."

Meine couldn't concentrate on what they were saying as she was focused on her cake… but she did remind herself that there was a guest and she did her best to mind her manners. She ate her slice slowly, drinking her tea quietly and just smiling whenever she and Tomoyo's eyes would accidentally meet.

It was a moment that Meine decided to pay attention and look at Tomoyo when Syaoran spoke.

"Were there really people disrupting the preliminaries?" he asked.

Meine noticed Tomoyo flinch slightly and she looked at the boy beside him. "Why do you ask?"

"Today we met some people that said so."

It took Syaoran a few minutes to explain everything that had happened earlier that afternoon.

"I see… so Nokoru-san showed you the video tape." she said.

Meine nodded as she took a sip from her tea. "Yes. He also said that you grew up with him, and Shogo-san said he was in the National Guard."

"Yes, that is correct."

Fai placed his chin on his hand. "Why does Tomoyo-chan look depressed?"

Meine looked at her face and saw that her eyebrows met together in the middle and she wasn't smiling anymore.

"No, it's nothing… I'm just worried about something."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sakura asked.

"Thank you very much." Tomoyo replied. "But, being the chairman of the company, I am responsible from preventing such things from happening." She clasped both her hands together and her voice was firm. "Currently, our company's inquiry branch has been investigating the contestants and any related personnel. We will definitely single out the person behind this activities."

Meine just happened to glance at Kurogane and noticed that he was looking at the girl beside her and his eyes never once left her.

"So this is what Tomoyo came to tell us today?" Mokona asked.

"No, actually…" She shook her head and stood up from her seat. Suddenly, she leaned forward and took Sakura hand. "What will you wear for the finals?"

Meine could not help but move away towards one corner together with the men as they stared at Tomoyo, who had gone crazy once again.

"I've already thought of the perfect racing costume for my super-cute Sakura-chan! Wearing my home made racing attire; Sakura-chan soars, flutters, and skims through the air! It's too perfect!"

She then looked at Meine and ran towards her, also taking her hand. "I'll make something for you too, Meine-san!"

"T-thank you…" was all that came out of Meine's mouth. She was still a little bit freaked out at Tomoyo's outbursts.

"Mokona wants one too!" it said loudly as it stood on the edge of the table.

* * *

A few hours passed and the sun had already set. Sakura and Syaoran were practicing with their dragonflies just above their house, while Meine, Fai and Kurogane stayed on the ground.

Meine had just finished checking her Dark Wing for the Finals that was to happen the day after tomorrow. She was now leaning against the left wing of Fai's Tsubame and was looking up the sky to watch Sakura and Syaoran flying side by side each other.

Mokona was twirling around Meine's head. "I can't wait for my new contest attire."

She couldn't help but smile and hold the creature's small hands to prevent it from falling.

Fai, who was sitting there behind Meine on top of the left wing, smiled his usual smile. "Tomoyo-chan is really full of energy, and Sakura-chan is also practicing hard for the upcoming competition."

"We have no choice. We have to get that feather back whatever it takes." Meine replied.

"But those irregularities…" he continued. "Could it have something to do with Kuro-rin's feeling of being watched?"

Kurogane stopped tinkering with his dragonfly and leaned against its frame. "For some reason, I have a feel like we're going to have to be very cautious during the finals."

Meine looked down and played with the edge of her scarf. "I think so, too…"

* * *

_The day of the Dragonfly Race Finals…_

The moment the group arrived at the arena, some of Tomoyo's guards escorted them inside one of the rooms to change, leaving the men to wander around the arena by themselves.

Tomoyo pushed Meine into one of those changing stalls and Sakura in another.

"Meine-san, your costume is on the hook on the wall!" Tomoyo's voice said from behind the curtain. "Please change into that."

Meine turned around and spotted her costume hanging on the wall. Without any other thought, Meine took of her own clothes and changed into it. Her costume was a sleeveless dress with a black ribbon tied around the ruffle neck and a high-waist, royal blue miniskirt with black, pointy lace trimmings and a big white bow at the back. It also had a black, sash-like cloth with white designs that you had to tie around your waist and was held together with a white ribbon.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smoothed out her skirt and turned half way to check if everything was in order.

She sat down on the chair at one corner and slipped on the mid-thigh high socks with blue lace lining at the edge and the blue sneakers with small pink bows. She also kept her hair down and put on this royal blue beret.

"Meine-san, Sakura-chan, are you finished changing?" Tomoyo asked from behind the curtain.

Meine didn't find the need to reply and pulled the curtain that separated her outside open and stepped out of her changing stall.

Apparently, Sakura also came out of her own stall at the same time. She was wearing this cute pink outfit with long gloves and really high boots and a pair of wings on her back.

"Cute." Meine said with a smile.

"Meine-san looks cute too." Sakura replied.

Tomoyo, who was standing in front of them, looked so proud and happy. She herself led them out of the building to where the rest of their companions were.

"How cute…" Fai said with a "whistle" when they got to meet with them.

Meine spotted Syaoran with a light blush on his cheeks and she couldn't help but smile at that. She glanced at Sakura and saw that their eyes met and her face was as red as a beet as well.

Since Tomoyo and Sakura were currently engrossed with each other, Meine walked towards the men and stayed there. She didn't notice that Fai was actually looking at her until she looked up at him and their eyes met.

"I-is there something wrong?" she stammered and checked if any of her hair was sticking out.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "No… On the contrary, you look perfect."

Meine could feel coming out of her ears and she looked up at Fai to see him smiling as if her didn't even say anything and he didn't notice the effects it did on her. She could feel her heart hammering against her chest.

She heard someone snicker behind her and she turned her head to see Kurogane smirking.

"W-what?" she demanded.

He just gave a small laugh and patted her head. "…Nothing."

"I'm sorry," Tomoyo said. "We could not find the culprit before the finals began."

"It's not Tomoyo-chan's fault." Sakura said.

"They may try something again this time. Although we have a foolproof defensive force, we may never know what will happen. Please be careful."

Kurogane smirked crossed his arms. "Even if someone messes around with the contest, all we have to do is win."

Fai smirked as well, and Meine couldn't stop herself from looking at his face. He looked so cool smiling like that without his goofy smile.

"That's right." the mage said.

"Good luck, everyone." Sakura cheered.

Tomoyo pointed at the stage. "Oh, the pre-drawing race is starting."

"Drawing?" they all asked.

"It determines where you start off."

* * *

Meine walked up the short flight of stairs after Fai and pushed the big button on that sphere-shaped container where the balls with the numbers written on them are. A ball shot out of the hole and Meine was required to show it out in front of the audience.

"Number 5!" the lady announcer said into her microphone.

Syaoran walked up the stairs next and he raised his hand for a high five. Meine smiled and hit her hand against his.

"Good luck." she said and walked back down.

"The contests that Mokona saw before all use the score from the preliminaries to decide how well or bad a starting place you get!" Mokona said as soon as Meine was with the rest of them.

"I wonder how the numbers work in this competition…" Fai thought out loud.

Meine looked at the balls in Kurogane and Fai hand and saw that they were number 9 and 11 respectively.

"Meine has the most favorable spot so far." Mokona said and jumped into her hand.

Sakura went up the stage right after Syaoran had gotten the 15th spot.

Fai smiled. "Well, I'm sure that…"

"IT'S APPEARED—!" the announcer said.

Meine looked at the stage and saw Sakura holding a ball in her hand with the most favorable spot that every contestant wished they had.

"The number 1 spot has appeared!"

"I knew it." Fai whispered. "Well then let's go, to the Dragonfly Race finals."

They went their own separate ways to go to their respective platforms that varied in distance from the stage. Sakura's Wing Egg sat on top of the highest and farthest platform and Meine's Dark Wing was 4 contestants away.

Meine was in the middle part of the unique platform that she could not quite describe. On the center of that unique floating structure stood the Piffle Princess mascot's statue and from there the different platforms branched out from its base.

"Meine!" someone called.

She turned her head and saw Akemi on a platform below her and a few meters away. He seems to have taken the 6th spot.

"Good luck!" he shouted and gave her thumbs up.

Meine looked down at Akemi's dragonfly and saw that it had a flame design on its wings. She had wondered why his vehicle was called "Blaze", but now it answered her question.

"Welcome to the Dragonfly Race Finals!" a commenter said. It was the same person who was speaking into the microphone during the preliminaries. "These are the starting points!"

The crowd that was sitting on the ground inside this open dome started to get wild and screamed for each of the contestant they were rooting for. Meine even spotted a group holding a banner with her name on it and they were holding pompoms while screaming her name.

"They are Piffle Country's official race vehicles, these light weight machines called "Dragonflies"! This year we have prepared the best grand prize ever!" –the picture of Sakura's feather flashed on the screens. "Who will receive this energy battery?"

"This year's competition is different from the one of those past years! Each contestant must travel where their compass points!"- Meine looked at the gloves that Tomoyo had provided for her and the round contraption on top of it that had an arrow inside. She also had a black band around her arm.- "Before they reach the finish line, they must retrieve a marker from three different locations. The marker is different from each location and you must stick it onto the black bands around your arms."

She took a deep breath and strapped herself securely inside her dragonfly. She didn't even wait for the signal and slipped on the pair of clear glasses to protect her eyes from dust.

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets was heard and the crowd was noisier than before. Two strong beams of light were turned on and a hologram of Tomoyo appeared in front of them. She was holding a big round disk in front of her.

Meine took a deep breath and inserted the key into the hole and waited.

Big red numbers flashed on Tomoyo's disk.

3.

Meine took a deep breath and held the steering wheel with both her hands.

2.

She placed her foot against the gas pedal and stepped lightly. The engine growled under her just the way she liked it.

1.

Meine could feel the adrenaline rush through her veins and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

0.

"Get your markers and head towards the finish line!" the commenter said.

Every dragonfly shot forward like bullets from a gun. When she passed Sakura, she said a quick hello and sped off. She was right beside Kurogane who, as she noticed earlier, had that sparkle in his eye.

"Ooh! The Wing Egg starting off in the most advantageous position is quickly surpassed by other dragonflies behind her!"

Meine ground her teeth together and pushed the gas pedal more. The Dark Wing lunged forward and passed Kurogane.

"Look," said the announcer. "Look the person currently in the lead is… the Dark Wing! This beautiful young girl is exceedingly fast! No wonder she won in the preliminaries!"

Meine spotted flying in front of her and taking her video for the live feed was a small cylinder-shaped object with a round lens on it. She winked into the camera and heard the crowd from the starting point scream and she heard her name.

She couldn't help but feel flattered knowing that she actually has fans.

"Right behind her flies Kuro-tan! "Deucalion" is in third place! On fourth are "Garuda" and "Wizard", while the next four dragonflies are stuck on a tie."

Kurogane sped up and now the two of them are now in a tie on the 1st place. She spotted in the distance and they are little by little closing in on it. There were lots of buildings and floating screens almost everywhere.

"Oh they are near it: the normal flight path full of buildings and advertisements. Unlike the preliminaries, the finals include normal flight paths as well! You can't win solely through speed. Avoiding the obstacles, choosing the flight path carefully… It is all very important!"

Meine could tell that Kurogane was getting pissed mainly because of the aura he was emanating. She easily evaded the floating screens because her dragonfly was not that big. But Kuroagne on the other hand purposely used the wing of his dragonfly to slice a screen in half because the commentator's voice was pissing him off.

"Just shut up!" he shouted loudly. He was just right behind Meine and she could feel his eyes boring a hole through her head. He really wanted to be first…

"The Dark Wing and Kuro-tan are flying in a dangerous spot!"

Meine was thankful for the seat belt or she was sure that she would've been thrown out of her vehicle. She did a sharp curve without thinking and she skidded to the side a little, allowing Kurogane to get into first place.

"Stop calling me that!" he screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Fai's Tsubame on the screen do an amazing maneuver by passing in between the buildings and such.

"What great steering skills from Tsubame!" the commenter said.

Meine was thankful that she had finally passed the first challenge full of buildings and they were now soaring a little bit higher than before.

"The leaders have made it out—!"

Kurogane was currently in first place, Meine in second; Deucalion was in third while Fai was in tie with three other finalists in the fourth place.

She heard her compass beep and the arrow pointed forward towards a weird ball with a star on it sitting on a tall stick.

"They are approaching the first key location!"

Meine searched for any sign of a marker but she could see any. Kurogane was looking for it as well and he slowed down just a little bit and Meine was able to tie with him once again.

"Where do I get the marker?" Kurogane asked aloud.

Her eye caught something flash inside the ball and she felt like she had to go and go to the ball head first. Her clear eyesight let her see a disk, golden object inside it.

Fai has realized it too and the he has advanced to the second place. "Don't tell me it's there?"

"There's something inside the ball." Meine said.

"Yes!" the announcer said ad answered their question. "That thing that is shining inside the ball is the first checkpoint marker!"

Without thinking twice, Meine took a chance, she stepped on the gas pedal and she plunged towards the ball.

"Oi!" Kurogane said and followed her.

"Meine-chan!" Fai shouted and did the same.

As Meine advanced the ball and she got closer and closer, she heard a small "po-n" sound and the ball burst, making the badges inside it scatter around her. She took the one nearest her and placed it on the arm band.

She then pulled up and brought her dragonfly back to its former flight path. She inhaled deeply and sighed. "That was scary…"

"It's your fault." she heard Kurogane say.

"I see…" Fai said. "When the dragonfly get's close, the ball bursts and you can catch the badge."

"That way someone can miss it." Kurogane grunted as he stuck his badge on his arm.

"But then if that happens, wouldn't the number of badges inside the ball decrease too?" Meine asked, keeping the same speed so that she could still be first. Even though they were companions and they were in one team, this was still a competition… and she wasn't going to just lose that easily.

"Yes." Fai said with a catty smile. "That would be a disadvantage to the others…"

"Currently in first place is the Dark Wing!" the announcer said. "'In second place is Kuro-tan, followed closely by Tsubame."

Meine followed the arrow on her compass, while keeping an eye on the screen to see where Syaoran and Sakura were.

"The second group has arrived at the first checkpoint."

Meine checked a floating screen and saw that Akemi's "Blaze" and Syaoran was there in that group.

"The Mokona which was ranked number 15 from the start is now steadily advancing!"

Meine was gaining distance from the screens and she wasn't able to see what was happening, but she could still hear it. The buildings were starting to lessen as she sped by as well.

She passed by a huge screen and she saw that Syaoran had gotten himself a badge and is now following them towards the second checkpoint. But the ball had exploded and the badges were falling steadily towards the ground, and Sakura still hadn't gotten hers.

Meine bit on her lower lip and drew out a little bit of her blood. She licked it away and ignored her eyes turning gold for a moment.

"_Someone's tampering with the contest again!"_ Meine thought.

"One badge left!" the announcer said.

She checked a screen and noticed that Sakura was near the first checkpoint and there were still contestants behind her.

"Sakura…" Meine whispered.

Because she wasn't looking in front of her, she almost hit a skyway in between a building. She evaded it in time because Kurogane had screamed for her attention, but then she fell back to 3rd place.

"Oh!" the announcer said. "Our lovely first placer has fallen back to third place! She has just nearly evaded from being eliminated from the contest!"

"Quit worrying about the princess!" he shouted at her. "She's going to be fine."

"But—!"

"Meine-chan, relax. Our mission is to win and retrieve the feather." Fai smiled at her. "Sakura-chan is going to be fine. She's really good during a pinch… her luck is really strong."

She took a deep breath and concentrated on winning. They were right… Sakura will be fine. She had Mokona with her.

She was finally able to breathe deeply when they have passed the buildings and they were now over a body of water. There was another commenter in this area.

"Our first group is finally at the second checkpoint!" she said. "Look at that! Tsubame is now in first place while the Dark Wing and Kuro-tan are in tie for the second place."

"But wait!" she said. "The "Yellow Tiger" and "Snow White" are catching up! They are increasing their speed more and more!"

Meine looked at her side mirror and saw Shogo and the Dr. Kyle from this world gaining on them.

In a blink of an eye, they passed the three leaders.

"He passed them!" the announcer said. "At the last tournament, the "Yellow Tiger" was the champion. What an amazing acceleration! "Snow White" is also fast!"

Kurogane sped up to follow them to gain back his first place rank. Meine decided to follow suit.

"Who will be the first to make it through the first checkpoint?"

Meine heard her compass beep and the arrow pointed forward to a long, spiral-shaped tube.

"This is the first part of the second checkpoint... the Dragon tube! You can pass safely through this ring to get the badge! But…"

The first two contestants entered the tube and Meine was surprised to see the tube wiggle and move.

"This tube moves!" thee commenter said. "Pay attention to it!"

Meine entered the tube first, to be followed by Kurogane then Fai. She was driving slowly and watched carefully the tube's movement.

"This wave motion is really annoying!" Kurogane said loudly and followed Meine through it.

"But we aren't even going fast. I wonder what it's becoming…"

Fai wasn't able to finish his sentence and the tube's wave movement started to get stronger and it actually squished Fai's Tsubame.

"What?" Kurogane bellowed and looked back at Fai. He then returned his eyes in front of him and he saw Meine looking back with her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly open.

"What the heck this going on with this race…? All of a sudden, the tube's movement has become erratic.

"Oi! If you don't look in front of you, you might be eliminated too!" he said and honked his horn.

Meine shut her eyes and looked forward, she felt tears at the corner of her eye and she quickly wiped them away. "Fai-san…" she whispered under her breath.

The tube had teared in the middle, making Fai and the other contestants following him fall down to the water.

"The Dark Wing and Kuro-tan made it out but what about Tsubame that was following them?"

Meine saw at the screen from outside the tube that Fai was on the screen and he had both his arms above his head, making an "X" mark.

"Ah! The Tsubame retires!"

She could tell that he was unharmed but she could not make the worry go away. After getting her second marker and placing it on her arm band, she decelerated and looked at Fai.

He smiled and waved, but his eyes were telling him something else. "Go, Meine-chan!" he mouthed.

Meine closed her eyes and followed Kurogane who went ahead. She caught up to him in no time and they were finally approaching the third obstacle.

She was still worried even after seeing Fai okay and the ninja noticed this.

"Keep looking forward." he suddenly said and it surprised Meine a little. "That mage is going to be fine."

Meine breathed deeply and closed her eyes. She knew this was bad since she was driving, but this calmed her down. She put a little more pressure on the gas pedal and she sped up, passing by Kurogane and creating a space between them.

She opened her eyes and followed the arrow on her hand.

"There was some trouble in the second checkpoint." the announcer said. "So far, six people have been eliminated."

Meine breathed in deeply and followed the two contestants in front of her. They were already far away, and Kurogane was gaining behind her.

"This is the third checkpoint!" a new announcer said to the mike. "It is full of dangerous canyons like these! Piffle World is proud of these natural mazes! Speaking of mazes, does everyone know that the one who built the first maze was a man called Maze-san? Maze-san didn't want anyone visiting his bedroom, so he remodeled his house, building the world's first maze."

Meine had the sudden urge to punch this commenter since he was chattier than the other two earlier.

"As we speak, the leading contestants have arrived. The marker is beyond this canyon. And please follow the rules and go through the canyons. There are sensors stationed on top of them. If the sensors catch you flying above, you will be disqualified."

She held the steering wheel tightly and maneuvered through the zigzag road. She had to admit all these movements going right then going left then back again was making her dizzy.

"Kuro-tan and Yellow Tiger enters the canyon at the same time! Dark Wing and Snow White is just behind them. The other groups are also catching up! Will these canyons change the ordering of our contestants?"

Even though she was well aware of the danger, she pushed the gas pedal a little more and she sped up until she was right behind Kurogane.

"This place requires more maneuvering skills than the first checkpoint!" the commenter said.

Meine saw that Kurogane waved at her and he moved down toward the ground right below the Yellow Tiger and he immediately moved up so that he was now in first place.

"Kuro-tan is now leading the group! The rest are catching up! The distances between them are shortening. But this is rather chaotic… 5 dragonflies side by side in such a narrow place. Will it work out?"

Meine was about to move forward to catch up with Kurogane when someone called her name. She looked at her rear view mirror and saw Akemi waving at her with one contestant between them. She raised her hand to wave back but she was trying her best to catch up to Kurogane.

She wasn't listening to the commenter but she was able to hear a big explosion from behind her. She immediately looked at the nearest screen and saw that Syaoran was nowhere to be found.

"Five dragonflies have been eliminated! The favorite for the championship "Ryuuga" together with "Mokona" has dropped out!"

Meine spotted at one screen that Syaoran was unharmed and he was talking to the Ryuoh of this world. She returned to looking at the path in front of her and followed Kurogane.

"The first to reach the checkpoint is Kuro-tan! In second place comes the Yellow Tiger; in third place is the Dark Wing. Next is Snow White, followed by Blaze and Garuda! Flying Lady flies in seventh and last but not the least… Wing Egg brings up the rear in eighth. Who will obtain all three badges and win the race?"

"It looks like only 8 contestants made it through the canyon! Past the narrow rocks and faces, we can see them: the last obstacle of the third checkpoint…GEYSERS!"

Meine avoided the pillar of water from getting herself wet and slowly but surely chose on following Kurogane through it.

"You cannot predict when the water will shoot up! Few contestants took precautions against the water! If they got splashed they may not be able to fly."

"All the dragonflies are battling the water furiously!"

Meine was following Kurogane when Sakura passed her and she wasn't able to evade the geyser and she got splashed. She got washed away towards the rocky area of the canyon walls and Meine closed her eyes tightly. She didn't scream or anything like that, but she froze. Her mind went blank and her hands where gripping the wheel tightly.

"Meine!" said a familiar voice that she treasured.

She suddenly saw a vision of her older brother's hand reaching out for her, wearing the same clothes he wore the day before his death.

Her dragonfly was about to hit the pointy rocks when Akemi collided his dragonfly with hers. "Jump!" he said.

Meine did as she was told and fumbled with the seatbelt. Without thinking twice, she quickly secured the necklace around her neck and jumped to the water.

But she forgot a very important thing before she actually jumped off of her Dark Wing… Meine can't swim.

She fell into the water feet first and she couldn't bring herself to move her hands to reach up to the surface for air. The water surrounding was peaceful and quiet. She was about to close her eyes when she saw Akemi's figure swim towards her.

Her hand unconsciously moved to reach for him and she felt herself being pulled to the surface. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was coughing and trying to catch her breath.

"Nii-chan…" she whispered and hugged him tighter, forgetting that this wasn't her Akemi.

Akemi didn't know what to do so he just patted her wet hair softly. "Thank goodness you're alright."

It donned on her that this wasn't her older brother and she moved away, only to realize that she had no way of support and she started flailing her arms again to keep herself in the surface.

He laughed a little and pulled Meine closer. "Don't worry. You won't drown when I'm here."

She blushed a little bit but let him pull her as they swam to the shore.

As soon as she was on dry land, she looked at a nearby screen and saw that Sakura was now in second place right beside Kurogane and they had now acquired the last marker.

Sakura was right above it when a big powerful fountain shot up and she would be unable to continue if she got hit. Meine held her breath and Kurogane hit Sakura and he was the one who got wet by that strong, unnatural geyser.

"Kurogane-san!" Meine screamed.

"The geysers, which supposedly had passed already suddenly, shot a huge fountain of water! Could Kuro-tan possibly survive such a blast?"

Kurogane's head appeared from the water and he looked at Sakura who had stopped and had been passed by two other contestants.

After a few seconds of pause, Sakura shot forward once again.

Meine looked at Kurogane on the screen and noticed something was off. A blimp from the Piffle Princess cam and lowered a ladder for them. She quickly climbed up and met with an employee who placed a towel over her shoulders.

After picking them up, the blimp moved to get the other disqualified contestants.

When they got onboard the blimp, Meine couldn't find Akemi anywhere so she decided to wait for Kurogane by the door where he was about to enter instead.

She stood there, waiting for Kurogane to enter the entrance from where the rope ladder was.

She knew the moment she saw him that he was wounded. She could smell his blood coming from his hand inside his pocket and his face was more aggressive than usual.

Meine approached him with a stoic face and he just smirked.

"Saw you back there, you can't swim can you?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she grabbed his arm and was able to half way pull out his hand out of his pocket. "I knew it."

He just shrugged her off and walked away. Meine followed him and didn't say anything until they met Fai walking towards them.

"Yo, Meine-chan, Kuro-puu." he greeted.

They stopped in front of a screen to see Sakura pass through the goal. She looked so happy and proud and she and Mokona started twirling inside the small dragonfly.

"In the end it was Sakura-chan." Fai said.

They continued to walk down the hallway, following Fai to go where Syaoran was.

Fai slowed his pace and held onto Kurogane's arm to stop him and pull his wounded hand out of his pocket. "Right now, let's go see a doctor. Meine-chan noticed this too."

Meine nodded and looked at Kurogane. "Please get your wound fixed up…" she said. The smell was really bothering her. She hadn't had blood in a long time…

"How troublesome." he said with a grunt.

"Don't be like that!" Fai said with a smile and pulled Kurogane by his arm. "If father does it, then his children will imitate!"

"Stop saying that too! Did you come here to make jokes?"

"That was one of my intentions." the mage replied with a small laugh.

Meine actually smiled at that joke and tried to hide her laugh with a cough. She earned a glare from Kurogane but she tried her best to not meet his eye.

"I was a little bit worried that there were all kinds of accidents in the race." Fai said. "And the geyser that eliminated Kuro-sama felt a little strange somehow."

"If I got hurt there, it would've been irritating."

"It's just like what Tomoyo-chan said. Someone cheated."

"The culprit… is one of them." Kurogane whispered that only Fai and Meine could hear. He looked at the other eliminated contestants in the room.

* * *

"Then it's finally decided!" the three announcers said in unison. "The "Dragonfly Race" champion! The cutest and fastest of them all: the Wing Egg!"

The crowd went wild. The stage had somehow moved in front of the waterfall below the finish line. There were colorful bits of paper flying around and the sound of trumpets came from every corner. Sakura stood on top of the stage with Mokona on her shoulder.

"Now to present the winner's prize…"

The top step of the stage opened and the fanfare got louder. Tomoyo appeared slowly at the top holding a container similar to the one she held during the preliminaries, but it was resting on top of a fancy handle with a crown on top of it. Meine could feel the feather's huge wave of power coming from inside it.

"…The energy battery!"

Sakura walked up the steps and stopped in front of Tomoyo to take her prize. They stood there in front of each other, and it seems that they were having a conversation.

"Sakura-chan finally won." Fai said with a smile as they watched from behind the rope that stopped people from just walking up the stage.

"Yeah." Syaoran replied and clapped loudly.

Sakura spotted them right in front and she waved, hugging the container where her feather was tightly. Meine and Syaoran waved back at the girl.

Fai meanwhile was flailing his hands, trying to get Sakura's attention. Meine stood right beside her and leaned away towards Kurogane so that she wouldn't get hit by his arms.

"You have a very deep wound but don't just stand there!" Fai said to Kurogane, who just grunted in reply. "If you over exaggerate it, Sakura-chan might think that it's her fault."

"So troublesome..." Meine heard him mutter. She looked up at his face and saw that he had a thin film of sweat on his forehead and his hand was still in his pocket.

She touched the hand in his pocket lightly and he looked at her. Their eyes met and even though Meine didn't say a word, he got what she was trying to say. But he was too stubborn to get his hand fixed.

Fai didn't seem to notice their little moment there and he just poked Kurogane's shoulder. "Whatever you say, Father."

A vein popped out of Kurogane's forehead. "You bastard…" he growled.

The mage just laughed and placed a hand on Meine's shoulder. "Don't you think its different now?" he asked suddenly, changing the mood of their conversation.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Think about it… In the beginning, Syaoran-kun never smiled and he seemed so pained and depressed. Meine-chan used to be stoic and quiet and she wouldn't even open up to the rest of us before. And even Sakura-chan was missing her memories; she used to be so anxious. Kuro-pon's always mad, but he's still together with us."

He smiled and leaned forward on one of the poles where the red rope was attached. "Even though there are bitter moments in our journey, there are happy moments as well. Looking at them now, the kids are trying their best to smile."

Meine looked at Syaoran and Sakura and noticed that they looked truly happy. Thos smiles on their faces were genuine.

"I felt that they've changed…" Fai said.

"It seems you have changed too." Kurogane said.

For a moment there, Meine noticed that Fai's aura changed. It was like his smiling mask disappeared and showed his true self: someone who had been through a lot in the past and was not able to let go.

While Meine was busy looking at Fai who had his hair covering his eyes, she failed to see Sakura raise her prize above her head with Mokona standing on top of it.

* * *

The finalists and other employees once again boarded the big blimp for a celebration party. The sun had set when they were coming in, and that indicated the start of the banquet.

Tomoyo stood in the middle of the room with all eyes on her. "There were many accidents during today's race. I apologize for all the confusion worries they have caused to the contestants. I have prepared a small banquet. Please don't hold yourselves back, and enjoy."

She raised her glass and the others did the same.

Meine sat down on one of the chairs beside Kurogane. He was just sitting there with a drink in his hand and the wounded one in his pocket. Sakura sat on the long couch in front of them, holding her feather tightly against her chest. Her eyes roamed the room in search for Akemi who has been missing in quite some time now, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

"Sakura-chan did well!" Fai said and sat on one of the chairs.

She just sat there and hugged her feather tightly.

"Not opening it?" Syaoran asked.

She shook her head. "If I open it and return my feather, I might fall asleep. I want to talk to Tomoyo-chan, but she seems to be very busy talking to the sponsors."

Sakura took Syaoran's hand and held it between hers. "Also, I want to thank everyone. I'm really, really grateful! Moko-chan, Fai-san, Meine-san, Kurogane-san, and Syaoran-kun…because you were there, I was able to win."

Meine smiled and stood up slowly to get a refill that Sakura didn't even notice that she had gone. She approached the bar and gave her glass to the bartender for more when she spotted Akemi standing by the window.

"Akemi-san!" she called.

He snapped out of a trance and walked towards her with a smile on his face. "Hey, Meine!"

She took her glass and walked towards her. "You disappeared when we got rescued by the blimp earlier. Where did you go?"

He just gave a small laugh and smiled. "I got lost. I was looking for you too, but when I noticed it, you're friend there had already won."

Meine and Akemi walked back to where the rest of her company was and she saw that Nokoru and Shogo were there talking to Sakura. They stopped to stand by Fai when Meine heard a high, ear-piercing sound that the rest of them other than Mokona can't seem to hear.

She placed both her hands over her ears to try to muffle the sound even just a little, but nothing helped.

"Meine-chan, what's wrong?" Fai asked. "Mokona?"

Meine opened her eyes slightly and noticed that Mokona was holding its ears down. Akemi held Meine's shoulders to help her up.

"My ears hurt…" Mokona said. "Something loud is squeaking."

Suddenly, the windows shook and the squeaking got louder. The glass blew up into lots of little shards and scattered in the room. Fai held Mokona to protect the creature and was about to move to cover Meine so that she wouldn't get hurt when he saw that Meine was already ducking on the floor, her hands over her ears and Akemi had his arms protectively around her.

There were screams everywhere and the people inside were starting to panic. Meine immediately stood up as soon as the sound stopped and quickly looked for the rest through the rubble.

She heard a loud crack in something and she looked over at Sakura and Syaoran looking at the feather's container with surprised eyes.

"It broke!" Sakura said.

Meine tried to run towards her but she was stopped by Akemi who still had his arms protectively around her.

"No!" he said. "I can't let you get hurt!"

Just as she was about to try to break free, Tomoyo came running towards them and she held a gun in her hand. She stood in front of Syaoran and Sakura and held the gun in front of her.

"President!" the guards shouted.

Meine held on tightly to Akemi's arms that refused to let her go. All she could do was watch from a distance.

The glass continued to crack and another explosion happened.

"Put the feather in Sakura-chan's body!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Even Meine was confused. _"How did Tomoyo-san know?"_

The container broke completely and the feather floated of somewhere. Sakura tried to reach for it but she wasn't able to grab it.

With that Meine did not care anymore. She somehow slipped out of Akemi's hold and ran towards the direction of the feather through all the rubble together with Kurogane and Fai.

The feather floated to a silhouette at the other side of the room in front of a broken window. He let the feather float in his hand. Meine was stopped by Akemi, who had grabbed her hand and pulled her away from danger. He held her against her chest with her feet off the ground.

"Please… please don't do anything rash." he whispered to her ear.

Meine was just there, inside his arms and not moving. She didn't know why he followed his request to not do anything rash.

Syaoran's eyes widened when he saw the culprit's face. It was someone they knew and had encountered with at a country called Jade.

Syaoran ran towards him to get the feather back when Mokona opened its mouth and a powerful vacuum sucked the feather inside and swallowed it.

"Mokona's secret technique: hyper gravity (medium)!"

"Damn!" the culprit cursed.

"Quickly!" Tomoyo said. Mokona took the feather out of its mouth and let it enter Sakura through her chest. She slowly fell back to the ground with her eyes closed.

The culprit laughed and Meine turned her attention back at him. Her hands were balled into fists, but she couldn't move since Akemi was standing in front of her to use his own body to protect the girl.

"Really… Like in Jade Country, that living thing was just an unusual hindrance."

"Jade Country?" Syaoran asked. "Then you're Dr. Kyle?"

Meine glared at him. Kyle Rondart was from the world they have dropped into before where in a town called Spirit, he was a doctor who turned out to be the one hypnotizing the missing children of the town to get the feather inside the castle of Princess Emeraude. He even kidnapped Sakura because she was getting in his way, but the gang saved her along with the children from the town.

"You are not the only ones who can travel through different dimensions." Kyle said. "In other words, you can find the same faces but different people. However, you won't really know if they are different people."

"Guards!" Tomoyo shouted.

Lots of guards came from different directions and fired their laser guns at him. He jumped out of the window and a tear in the clouds appeared. Meine looked just in time to see him disappear with a smile in his face.

"He disappeared…" Syaoran whispered.

"President!" Tomoyo's bodyguards called worriedly and approached her.

"I'm alright." she replied. "Check if anyone's hurt. Land the balloon in a safe place. Piffle Princess Company is responsible in getting everyone back."

"The race is finally over…" Fai said. "Can you explain to us the situation now, Tomoyo-chan?"

* * *

They were now back in the house inside the dining room, but this time, only Tomoyo was the only one with tea. Meine and Kurogane sat on chairs while Syaoran stood over Sakura's sleeping body on the couch.

"The one who tampered with the race is me." Tomoyo said in a firm voice.

"You tampered with the race?" Syaoran asked in a loud voice, clearly surprised.

"During the preliminaries and the final races?" Fai inquired.

"So you did realize it…" she said with a smile.

Fai just smiled and pointed at Kurogane. "It was mostly this person."

Kurogane looked at the young president with those sharp eyes of his. "…You said it when you came here after the preliminaries ended: "Whoever did these things would eventually be found out."

"Yes…"

"You said those words with a lot of conviction."

Meine just sat there quietly. She didn't find the need to speak at all and so she just listened.

"It's just as that person said…" Tomoyo began.

"Who is _that _person?" Kurogane demanded.

Tomoyo giggled. "Tomoyo-hime."

Kurogane stood up from his chair and had both his hands on the table, his jaw wide open in surprise.

"A year ago, the lady in charge of the Piffle Princess Company's excavations brought back from the bottom of the ocean a mysterious energy source in the shape of a feather. It was composed of of a substance that cannot exist in Piffle World, and it produced an unusually large amount of energy. Just what it was, my company's development team tried to find out… but sadly they could not.

"Furthermore, I had a dream. In the dream appeared a girl whose appearance was identical to mine. That girl was in a country called Japan, and her clothes were completely different. But we both shared the same name: Tomoyo. It was Tomoyo-hime who told me that this feather existed in other worlds as well. And that in time, travelers in search for such feathers would appear. And then all of you arrived…"

"Then how did you know that we were those travelers?" Meine asked.

"You're dealing with the "Piffle Princess Company" here." A familiar voice said.

Everyone turned to the door and saw Shogo-san and Nokoru enter their house.

"Sorry for intruding." Nokoru said.

"We thought we ought to come and participate in the explanations as well." Shogo said with a big grin. "The president here is more eminent than the Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister?" Fai asked.

Mokona jumped onto Fai's shoulder. "It's the most powerful person, the equivalent of a king in a monarchy."

"Why didn't you just return the feather to Sakura if you knew that we were coming?" Meine asked.

Nokoru took a seat beside Meine. "Lady Tomoyo had that dream too late. The existence of the energy battery had already been announced."

Shogo took a seat as well and accepted the cup of tea given to him. "The entire country knew about this, and neighboring countries were also very interested in the battery. At that time, handing the feather over to anyone was something the that the Piffle Princess had no way of carry"

Tomoyo looked down at her own tea. "I hear from Tomoyo-hime that there are people who are after Sakura-chan's feather. And that they exist in every world. After that announcement, they would certainly try to make this country's feather their own."

"That's when I made a suggestion." Nokoru said as he stood up and he walked a few steps to stand beside Tomoyo. "How about making that feather the prize for the Dragonfly Race?"

"Should the fellows who want to snatch the feather also join the competition, we would be able to arrest them if things went out smoothly." Shogo said.

Tomoyo smiled at Kurogane who seems to have a vein popping out of his cheek. "Tomoyo-hime said that all of you would definitely join the competition as well…especially Kurogane."

"But we didn't know what the people who planned to snatch the feather would be capable of doing." Nokoru continued. "So, we arranged some safeguards during the preliminary competition, so the ones who were after the feather could be thwarted."

Shogo nodded. "At the same time, you needed to be put on alert, you needed to understand that there were things to guard against during the competition."

Syaoran seemed to understand were everything was going, but Meine wasn't quite listening. "That's why at the time you had to find an excuse to tell us that there was someone interfering in the competition."

Shogo looked depressed all of a sudden and he leaned against the table with his head buried in his arms. "Our acting has been exposed! But the other competitors didn't detect anything when they heard our words… On top of that, it was only after I had finished talking to you that I remembered that I had a date with Primera! In the end, I was late and it made her so, so angry!"

Nokoru too looked like he was pained. "To think that you failed to keep an appointment with a woman… I have such a strong sense of guilt, my heart is about to wither!" He was suddenly all down on himself and he put his hand against a wall and sighed.

Meine tried her best not to laugh at the comical scene in front of her.

"So that's why in the preliminary competition, Tomoyo was always flying by Sakura-chan's side, it was to protect her!" Fai said, hitting his fist on his open palm. "After all, if you were only filming, you don't have needed to go that close, would you?"

"During the finals, the two of you also flew very close." Syaoran said to Nokoru and Shogo.

The two of them just smiled and Tomoyo answered for them. "That was by my request. I wished to find out the intentions of the people who were trying to take away the feather. But…" she started to stare at Kurogane, particularly to his hand that was inside his pocket. "The fact that my actions made everyone feel like they were in danger is all my responsibity. I'm truly very sorry."

"Then, the very last geyser was…" Fai said.

Syaoran's eyebrows met in the middle. "…Doctor Kyle."

"Tomoyo-chan…"

They all looked at the sleeping girl on the couch who had woken up.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said and walked towards her. "You're awake? Do you feel better?"

"A little better" Sakura replied, her voice was still a little soft probably because she was still half-asleep. "May I ask a few things?"

"Of course…"

"Did Tomoyo-chan deliberately let us win?"

"No, I did indeed help a little, but in the end I still decided not to do anything that would favor Sakura-chan and everybody else. Because I believed that you were going to win."

Sakura smiled and her eyes slowly closed once again. "Thank… you…"

Meine smiled and leaned back on her seat.

"Then— Sakura-chan is victorious!" Fai exclaimed and even threw his hands up in the air. "Thanks to Mokona's secret technique, the feather could be returned. How difficult it was… Let's hold another party here!"

Mokona jumped on top of his head. "Mokona loves most parties!"

Meine stood up from her chair. "Let's do it!"

"Not bad." Shogo said and pulled out his communicator device from his pocket. "Can I call everyone in the Shogo team here?"

"That's really not bad." Nokoru said and took out his own device from his pocket. "Then, I'll also call the shop's catering here."

"Ah!" Meine exclaimed and walked towards Shogo. "If you can, can you also invite Akemi-san, please?"

"No problem." he replied with a smile and he kept pushing the buttons on his device at hand.

"Syaoran-kun is also one of the VIPs at the feast. How about lifting the drinking ban—?" Fai begged.

"We have to drink!" Mokona said. "It's Sakura-chan's first victory!"

"Liquor!" Meine screamed, giving in to the party spirit in the room. "Bring good liquor!"

* * *

After an hour, everyone arrived and the house was packed with people. Meine was now drinking her second glass of liquor. Everyone was having a good time, but she couldn't find Akemi who she had asked Shogo to invite. Shogo told her that he came earlier, but now he was nowhere to be found.

While everyone was partying and Meine decided that she needed fresh air and stepped out for a bit. There leaning against the wall of the house was Akemi, holding his own glass of alcohol.

"There you are…" Meine whispered and walked towards him. He just smiled at her and offered her to take a seat on a box beside him. She sat there and they looked at the illuminated buildings.

"Akemi-san..." Meine began. "Why did you save me back there?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You would've had a chance to win if you didn't hit your precious dragonfly to mine."

"Yes…" Akemi said and smiled. "But if I didn't hit you, you would be covered in bruises now… but there are other reasons why I did it."

"What other reasons?"

He sighed and sat on the floor beside the box she was sitting on. "A few years back, I had a recurring dream. In that dream there was a boy my age that looked exactly like me but he was wearing different clothes. He told me to protect a young girl."

Meine's fingers clutched her skirt tightly and she took a sip of her drink to calm her down.

"He didn't exactly tell me the name of the girl he asked me to protect, but he told me once that if I met her, I would know…

"That recurring dream stopped last year. But the last time I saw that person who looked like me, he was breathing heavily. He told me that he was leaving the girl in my hands. Whatever it takes, I had to protect that girl when I meet her."

"Then…?" Meine asked, her older brother Akemi had always told her that he had a weird ability to go from every person's dream to another, but she didn't believe it until now.

"A few years passed, then I met you." he looked up to her face and raised his hand to move her hair away from her face. "The moment I met you, I knew it. You were the girl I was asked to protect. I never really expected that I would actually fall for you, even though it is unrequited."

Meine's face burned crimson and she looked away. Akemi laughed at this and he stood up again to pat her hair.

"I won't try to kiss you again like before. You told me that you like someone else, right?"

She blushed more but nodded.

"Is that him?" he pointed at Fai through the window. He was playing some game with Mokona and everyone could be heard laughing inside.

Meine sighed and took a drink from her glass. "I think so…"

"Don't worry, you'll find it out yourself when the right time comes."

* * *

Meine stood in front of the mirror inside her room. The party last night ended when everyone passed out from too much booze, leaving the only ones sober enough to walk around were Tomoyo, Kurogane and her. Even Akemi dropped after having a drinking contest with the people from Shogo's team.

She changed into a plain white tank top and a miniskirt with three different layers that it made it look fluffy. She topped it with a white sweater that had the hood lined with faux fur. She slipped on her white knee-high boots and also tied her hair up to a pony tail with a plain white ribbon that she happened to come across inside her room.

She was about to set her brush down when she heard Sakura's scream downstairs. She ran down the stairs three steps at a time and found Sakura that had just woken up on the couch and was looking at the living room full of men who had passed out.

"Good morning, Sakura." Meine greeted with a smile and stopped at the door of the room since there were men blocking her way.

"What happened?" she asked loudly and tried to shake Syaoran awake. "Did you get hurt? Who did such a cruel thing?"

"Sakura-chan, I think Syaoran would be better if you let him lie down." Meine said.

The girl looked at her with confused eyes. Fai's hand appeared from a few feet away from Meine's feet. She never noticed that he was there in the first place. "You reap what you sow~" he groaned.

"Eh?" Sakura looked more confused.

"All of them had too much to drink!" Kurogane explained as he appeared from upstairs.

Sakura decided that everyone's throats must be dry and she went to the kitchen to prepare a remedy for hang over. Meine decided to help and prepared a lot of glasses for her.

"Good morning!" Tomoyo said as she appeared. "What are you doing?"

"Sakura is preparing a remedy for the men outside." Meine answered with a smile.

"They all ate a lot yesterday." Tomoyo said. "…both food and sake."

"Tomoyo-chan likes strong sake?" Sakura asked.

"I am fond of it." she replied with a refined giggle. "I will help as well."

"Thanks."

Meine kept silent and prepared the numerous glasses that Sakura will need.

"I'm really grateful." Sakura suddenly said that made Meine and Tomoyo both looked at her in surprise. "To have met Tomoyo-chan in this world, and to be friends with you, makes me really happy."

Tomoyo smiled. "I am grateful too."

"I want to thank you somehow."

"That smile is more than enough." she said, making Sakura blush a little.

"That's right!" Sakura exclaimed, remembering something important. "There's someone else I want to thank."

"Someone from Piffle World?" Tomoyo inquired.

Sakura turned to Meine. "Meine-san, what world does the Witch of Dimensions live?"

Meine blinked twice, not expecting this impromptu question at all. "The Witch lives in a world called Japan."

"Oh? They live in the same world as Tomoyo-hime?" Tomoyo asked.

She shook her head. "If my memory serves me correct, she once said to Kurogane-san who asked the same question that the Japan she lives in is different from the Japan where Tomoyo-hime is."

"I see." Tomoyo said and clapped her hands together. "What kind of person is Witch-san?"

"She's an adult and an incredibly beautiful person!" Sakura replied.

Tomoyo was silent for a while, her finger tapping her chin as she thought. "Then how about this…" She whispered into Meine and Sakura's ear her idea and Sakura nodded her head.

"That's perfect!" she exclaimed.

"I saw something that would go well with that idea!" Meine said, getting excited. "I saw it in a shop that sells jewelry."

Tomoyo and Sakura ran up the stairs ran up to her room to decide what Sakura's white day gift would look like while Meine went to the mall buy the choker she saw the other day. She had recently recieved the consolation prize money from participating in the Dragonfly Race finals.

Meine drove herself to the mall and ran all the way to the jewelry shop.

"Welcome." An employee said to her.

Meine immediately went to where the choker was displayed the other day and breathed deeply when she saw that it was till there.

"I would like to get this." she told the man. He nodded and got the keys quickly from the back and returned in less than a minute. He carefully took the chocker out of its display container and placed it in a box where it wouldn't be shaken no matter how much you shook it.

After taking the box from the employee and placing it inside her coat, Meine once again run back to the car. She didn't care that people were looking at her as she passed.

She didn't bother opening the door to the driver's seat and just jumped over it and drove back to the house.

When she arrived, it was nearly lunch time and everyone was outside the house under the sun. Kurogane was still drinking as he was still holding a new bottle of sake in his hand.

"Welcome back, Meine-chan!" Fai greeted the moment Meine set her feet on the ground.

"I'm back." she replied. She was walking towards the front door when Sakura screamed "It's done!" from the room above. She ran all the way down the stairs together with Tomoyo and she appeared carrying a black piece of clothing in her hands.

"Moko-chan, can I speak with Witch-san?" she asked.

Mokona, who was standing on top of Syaoran's head nodded and the gem on its forehead started to emit that beam of light. Yuuko's figure slowly materialized in that light and it showed her fixing her hair.

"Oh, Mokona." she said.

"Are you about to go out?" Mokona asked.

"In a moment, what is it?"

"Sakura and Meine wants to talk to you!"

"I'm done making your present!" she said with a huge smile on her face.

"You made it?"

"Tomoyo-chan helped me! Tomoyo-chan got her company's people to bring a machine that can sew clothes!"

Mokona opened her mouth and swallowed the dress Sakura had made and Yuuko received it almost immediately through the other Mokona that she had with her.

"Thank you," she said. "I will certainly take it."

She spotted Meine looking at her as well and was holding a box against her chest.

"Yes, what is it?" Yuuko asked.

Meine stepped forward and held out the box to her. "I found this in a shop and I was immediately reminded by you when I saw it. I did not make it, but I bought it with the prize money I received from the Dragonfly Race."

Mokona once again opened her mouth and the box got sucked into its mouth. Yuuko took the box and opened it. "Thank you… but this is only Meine-hime's and Sakura-hime's expression of gratitude! I'll deduct the value of these lovely clothes and the necklace from the custody charges of each of your clothes. But, I won't forget that 3 people still haven't thanked me for the chocolate fondant!"

And with that line said, Yuuko's transmission ended.

"As expected from Yuuko!" Mokona chimed.

"I absolutely won't ever thank her!" Kurogane grunted.

Mokona's wings appeared and the magic circle appeared under its feet.

"Going to another world?" Fai asked.

The creature nodded and the wind started to surround them once again just like in every other world.

Meine walked towards Fai but then stopped to look back at Akemi who was just standing there with a smile on his face.

"Thank you!" Sakura said. She looked back at Tomoyo with a smile. "Tomoyo-chan, we'll meet again right?"

Tomoyo nodded and took her hand. "Yes. In this country, there's no device to cross over dimensions with, but I'll see to it that our company creates it without fail. That's why we'll definitely meet again."

Meine smiled to see that they had finally said their goodbyes, but she has yet to say hers to Akemi.

"Akemi-san…" she called. He looked at her and smiled. "Thank you for everything."

He didn't say anything and just nodded. He waved as Meine slowly disappeared into Mokona's mouth.

With that, Meine left Piffle World with her burdens lightened after seeing someone with her older brother's face even before the disappeared for another world… It may not be him, but they share the same soul... and for her that was enough.

_"Bye bye… nii-chan."_

_-chapter owari-_

_

* * *

_**heyzelle: **okay... this chapter is really long. sorry about that. it took me three weeks to type it.

I would have to say that Piffle is the hardest world so far... I mean it's hard to describe the structures for god's sake!  
sorry if there are some typos and wrong grammar here and there.

Anyway, i would like to credit my friend **miharu-hime** for describing some of the clothes for me. I'm a noob with fashion.

_here are the links to Meine's clothes for the preliminaries and the grand finals. please type it in your address bar. you'll figure it out. **remember, don't put any spaces.**_

**preliminaries: **triple w (dot) gadgetspirit (dot) com (slash) pic (slash) RACE (percent sign) 20QUEEN (slash) Space (percent sign) 20Ranger (percent sign) 20Red (slash) c (dot) jpg

**grand finals: **dgraymanime (dot) files (dot) wordpress (dot) com (slash) 2008 (slash) 12 (slash) anime-girl-4 (dot) jpg

for Meine's other clothes (like during her date with Akemi, etc.) are inspired from Mano Erina's 6th and 7th single. If you want to see it, please type in the keywords:  
~Mano Erina Haru no Arashi  
~Mano Erina Onegai Dakara... dance shot version

also, if you want to see Meine's necklace and the choker she gave Yuuko, do the same thing that you did (if ever you did it) above. :)

**Yuuko's choker:** triple w (dot) etsy (dot) com (slash) listing (slash) 14664519 (slash) black-lace-pink-cameo-victorian-choker

**Meine's necklace: **triple w (dot) zales (dot) com (slash) product (slash) index (dot) jsp (question mark) productId (equals sign) 3316508 (ampersand) kpc (equals sign) 1 (number sign) details

for safety, as usual, disclaimers apply.

okay, after that you may think that "this person is stupid" or something close to it. but it's the only way i can think of if i want to put the links here. that or just post it in the reviews section, but this is much more fun and challenging (rofl)

if you want the links, as in the real links and not like the one above, please leave a review and i will see if i can post it there. :D V(^_^)V

m(_ _)m thank you for reading m(_ _)m

please support Meine until the end.


	6. VI: Cartoon World

**_edited. finally! sorry it took so long. won't happen again!_**

**heyzelle:** one little note before you read the sixth installment in our story, we just wanted to share that the pronunciation of Meine is like saying "main" of "Maine". a lot of people were asking. just like we have said in the first chapter: we did not name her. as for her second name and her surname... that i don't know how to pronounce. sorry. but if you do know, please share.

_regular disclaimers apply._

**

* * *

VI. Cartoon World**

Meine and the rest of the travelers once again dropped into another world. This world seemed normal and there were regular sized buildings. But something felt off about his world...but what?

They have apparently come on a good day into this world. The sun was shining, and the skies were clear.

"Looks like we've arrived." Syaoran said. "This looks like a good world."

"It doesn't look like any world that we've been through before." Fai said.

"It doesn't look like my world either." Kurogane added with a small huff.

Meine sighed and turned around slowly to face the rest of her comrades, only to have her chin drop when her eyes laid on them.

Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, and Kurogane were all in a super deformed (chibi) form. All of them screamed in shock and pointed fingers.

"Why does everyone look like...this?" Meine asked loudly as she looked at her own hands. She looked at each one of their faces and then back at her hands.

"What is going on?" Syaoran asked aloud.

Instead of asking questions to each other and obviously not getting answers, they decided to go and explore the new world.

As they were walking around, they noticed that everyone in this world looked exactly what they look like now. The buildings were even constructed to fit people who had the same height as they do.

The five of them stopped in front of an intersection full of cars. There were a lot of people coming and going in every direction, going their own separate ways.

"This looks like a pretty fun world." Fai said with a small "hyuu~" after the statement.

Kurogane was pissed once again. "What part of this world is "fun?"

Meine looked around the busy street and saw different people that they have met before. Some of them looked like the people that they have befriended from other dimensions. Her eyes stuck to one particular passerby with dark hair and mean-looking, blue eyes.

"Oi, white meat bun. Why don't tell us about what kind of world this is?" Kurogane demanded.

Then it was silent. Not even a single sound or a "puu" was heard from a certain white creature. Kurogane checked inside his jacket if he could anything, but all pockets were empty.

"Oh yeah..." Fai says.

"Where's Moko-chan?" Sakura asked.

After checking all of their pockets, they didn't find the palm-sized Mokona. In the end, they decided to split into groups to search: Fai and Meine, Sakura and Syaoran, and Kurogane who said that he'd be fine to search alone.

Fai and Meine then left together in search for Mokona. They went to the street that was lined with crates on the side. Meine called for Mokona, but just like before no one answered.

"Where could Mokona be?" Meine asked and let her hands drop to her side. She was still wearing the exact same clothes from Piffle World, since the worlds they have been to didn't have any wave of the feather so they decided to leave immediately.

She sighed and jumped onto one of the crates to sit on it. Fai leaned against the crates and flashed a smile at Meine. "Don't worry." he said. "Moko-chan is going to be alright! That little creature packs a punch."

Meine smiled and playfully punched Fai's shoulder from behind. "Yeah, you're right..."

After half an hour of searching and still nothing was found, they met up in a park near where they dropped to relax and rest.

"Damn that white thing!" Kurogane cursed and sat on his seat with his legs up and his back hunched. "Where has it run off to now?"

"Since we can understand each other, I'm sure Mokona isn't too far away. I'm sure we'll find it soon."

Meine remembered the first time she and the men in their little group could not understand a single word the other was saying since their translator (Mokona) was kidnapped by some crazy ass, pop idol from Hanshin Republic. That time in the country of Yama (Shura) wasn't so fun either. They were in a foreign land and their eyes were as black as cinders. During that time, Kurogane did all the talking and Fai never once let go of her hand until they got to the floating palace in the moon, where they fought Syaoran and finally was able to understand each other.

Out of boredom, she then decided to just play with the ends of her hair.

* * *

Mokona opened its eyes with a start and found itself sleeping on a soft throw pillow in a room illuminated by the warm fire in the fireplace and the sunset's light from outside the window.

"Huh? Where am I?" it asked out loud. "Syaoran! Sakura! Meine! Fai! Kuro-rin!"

Mokona jumped off the couch where it once slept and went out the room to look for the others.

There was only one room at the end of the hallway which had double doors leading inside it. One of the doors was wide open as if inviting Mokona in. Following its intuition and the curiosity in its heart, the little palm-sized creature bounced its way to towards the door where it peeked in slowly to see what was inside.

The room was quite big, with a desk right in front of the door at the far wall. There was a chair in front of it and it obstructed Mokona's view of the glowing object on the desk.

"Mekkyo!" Mokona exclaimed and its eyes opened wide as it felt that huge wave of power that indicated Sakura's feather was around. It bounced its way towards the chair and sat on it. "It's Sakura's feather! Mokona found it by myself! I did a good deed!"

The feather in front of Mokona had its tip inserted into a pen. Mokona looked down from where it was floating and noticed a drawing of five people.

Mokona pursed its lips and scrutinized the picture even further. "Syaoran, Sakura, Meine, Fai, Kurogane?"

"That pen has mystical powers." someone said.

The white creature turned around and saw a beautiful woman with golden flowing hair. She had such kind eyes and she wore a red beret over her hair.

"Who are you?" Mokona asked.

"I am a storyteller." The woman kindly replied. "My job is to entertain people using pictures and stories. A story is a world. As an author, I am able to control the world anyway I want to… For example, even the flow of time."

"You can control the flow of time too?" Mokona inquired.

"Yes, if it is inside the story."

"That's amazing!" Mokona said. "But this feather is Sakura's…"

"What do you mean?"

"Syaoran is trying so hard to collect all of them. It is a very precious thing. That's why please give the feather back to Sakura."

The kind storyteller smiled. "All right, but before that, there's something we have to do first. We have to save everyone inside that, because those who fell into the world are part of the story now. Probably, the world that was drawn by the feather drew in the owner of the feather, Sakura-san."

"What can we do to get them out?" Mokona asked.

"We have to take control of the mystical pen and create a story where they can all get out. However, to do that, you need a strong heart that believes in them. That's why…" –the storyteller raised her hand in front of her and closed her eyes, as if concentrating on something.

The feather moved off of the paper and floated in front of Mokona. "From here on, you have to draw the rest of the story. The will of wanting to save them will make the feather move."

"Eh! Mokona has to draw?"

* * *

Meine had already tied her hair into two pigtails on either side of her head while waiting for Kurogane and Syaoran to return from going somewhere.

Suddenly, Syaoran came back running towards them, looking alarmed. "Fai-san, there's trouble!"

"Is something wrong?" Fai asked.

He pointed towards the direction he came from. "Kurogane-san is…"

Meine jumped off her seat, and followed Syaoran as he ran. He started to slow down when she could hear Kurogane's voice from over there. She stood beside Syaoran and stared at Kurogane who was currently being chewed on by a giant sunflower with a face like Mokonas and a shiny red gem on its forehead.

She looked behind her to see that almost everything else had Mokonas face on them: the benches, the balloons, an old man's shirt, the fire hydrant, and even the clouds.

Then for an unknown reason, it started raining Mokonas of every color from the sky. Meine admitted that this was a little bit scary. She held onto Fai's arm as the Mokonas fell one on top of the other and it started to flood.

* * *

Mokona stood in front of the world of the sketchpad watching the pages get filled by different colors of Mokona. The little white creature now wore the red beret that the storyteller kindly lent for it to use.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!"

"The mystical pen directly draws out what you are thinking in your heart..." The storyteller said. "...so you will have to concentrate on your feelings."

"So it's pretty hard…" Mokona thought aloud. A thought suddenly entered its head. "Nee, can I change where Syaoran and the others are?"

"…like?"

"A place that Mokona knows well, then I can concentrate on my feelings, and I can make a proper story."

The storyteller agreed and once again closed her eyes to concentrate with her hand extended in front of her. The feather's glow slightly increased and it turned upside down, the feather part of the pen touching the paper. It moved up and down and the drawings on the paper disappeared, just like an eraser.

"Wait for me everyone. Mokona will try hard like Syaoran and save everyone!"

* * *

In the world inside the sketchbook, the scenery started to disappear leaving their surroundings all white. Meine moved away from Fai, a faint blush growing on her cheeks.

The white area beneath their feet started to glow and a large swirling vortex appeared and sucked them in inside it.

Meine screamed as she fell. This world was officially the top of the "weirdest worlds" list that she had made up inside her mind.

* * *

Meine sat on her desk, fidgeting with her handkerchief. Today was Valentine's Day and she was hesitating whether or not to give the chocolates she had made and to confess to the person she loved. That person was none other than the school's resident doctor: Fai-sensei. He was not only kind and gentle; he was also very good looking.

She took a deep breath and took out one of the small bags filled with chocolate. She had made a little bit too much during her making process since she got a little carried away with the amount of the ingredients, not that it bothered her. She could just eat all of it.

She made her way towards the infirmary and spotted a lot of squealing girls just outside the open door of the infirmary. Fai stood there; his sparkling white jacket and his smile mesmerized the girls. They all squealed louder and pushed one another to.

The mysterious blond doctor just raised his hand and smiled. "I'm sorry, everyone. I won't accept chocolates unless it's from someone I truly love."

All of the girls whined and some of them even sobbed. In the end, he didn't seem to be affected by the girls with broken hearts standing outside his door.

Meine bit lightly on her lower lip, careful to not let her fang touch it or she might accidentally bleed. She decided to take her own chance and just give it and she went into the crowd of girls. They kept on shoving and pushing hard that Meine dropped her chocolates on the floor and it got stepped on by one of the girls. She also got pushed out of the way by one girl and she fell on the floor hard. Just as she was about to stand up, the bell rang and the girls hurried back to their respective classrooms.

She once again got stepped on some of the people who weren't looking and now Meine's uniform was dirty and she had a small bruise on her knee.

She tried to stand up once again only to see someone kneeling in front of her with one hand extended to help her up.

Meine raised her head to see Fai with a worried look on his angelic face. "Are you alright, Meine-san?"

She couldn't find her voice as Fai picked her off the ground and helped her to get inside the infirmary. She could feel her face burning up as Fai sat her on the chair in front of the medicine and he put ointment on Meine's injured knee.

"T-thank you, F-Fai-sensei." she said and bowed her head.

Fai smiled back and tucked a lock of hair behind Meine's ear, making her face even redder than before. "I think it would be better if you change your clothes, seeing as you're covered in footprints."

Meine looked down at her uniform and saw that she had gotten dirty. She was forced by Fai to change into red tracksuit that was a little bit long for her.

She stood there right in front of Fai wearing the red tracksuit and a white t-shirt inside that was a little bit big for her.

"Sorry if it's a little big. Those clothes are mine and I only use it for emergencies, so it's clean."

"T-thank you." Meine repeated.

She was handed a pass to excuse herself from being late and she bowed her head before she walked down the hallway towards the direction of her classroom, hugging her uniform in her arms.

"Don't give up, Meine-chan." she heard Fai's voice whisper. She turned around to look if he was still watching her, but the hallway was empty. At first she thought she was imagining things, but she had superior sense of hearing. She felt her heart beat louder against her chest and she smiled.

Meine was finally pumped up and confident. She wasn't going to give up! She brought lots of chocolate with her anyway since she got carried away by the amount the day that she made it.

"Thank you for everything, Fai-sensei." she said under her breath, the fire burning in her arms I won't give up!"

* * *

_RECESS..._

Meine bought another bag of chocolates and ran to the infirmary immediately after telling her friends Ichijou Fumie, Minami Hikari and of course Sakura, and Syaoran where she was going.

She ran down the stairs towards the infirmary which was on the first floor. She was now wearing rubber shoes, since she had one in her bag for PE later in the afternoon after lunch.

She knocked twice on the door before sliding it open. "Fai-sensei?" she called.

The infirmary was empty; his usual chair in front of the desk where she used to see him write was empty. Meine frowned and moved towards his desk. Her fingers ran over the smooth texture of the table. His pen that he used in writing was there too.

Meine didn't want to leave without doing anything. She took an index card that wasn't used on the table and his pen. She wrote a note on the card: "I like you. Please accept these chocolates. I hope you like it."

She placed her chocolates on top of the note and fixed the ribbon that closed it. She took one last look at it before closing the door to meet up with her friends.

She was half way up the first flight of stairs when she realized that she didn't write her name. She walked back slowly to the infirmary. When she opened the door, the chocolates were missing. On Fai's regular seat was a senpai that was quite famous for being a playboy. His name was Nishikado Kazuto. He had dark hair that was a little bit long and matching dark eyes, he was also very good looking.

There he sat with the small, open bag of chocolates that Meine made. He was nodding and making those pleased sounds.

"Ahh!" Meine said and she fell to her knees by the door.

Kazuto-senpai jumped and the bag of chocolates fell to the floor. He looked at her and looked at the spilled chocolates. "Did you make these?"

Meine couldn't find her voice so she nodded. She felt as if her soul was leaving her body through her mouth.

"Were they supposed to be for Fai-sensei?" he asked.

She nodded her head. She was pissed, not at her innocent senpai, but at herself.

He ran towards her and knelt in front of her. "I'm so sorry!" he said, panic heard all over his voice. "I thought it was for me because I almost always receive anonymous chocolates during Valentine's Day! It didn't have a name for who it was and who gave it..."

Kazuto gently helped Meine up to her feet. Her head hung low as tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. Kazuto started to panic and he fumbled with the handkerchief that he got from his pocket. He used this to dab away Meine's forming tears.

"Please don't cry." he said. "Seeing beautiful girls just as yourself pains me to know that I am the cause of these tears. I'm really sorry..."

The edges of Meine's lips actually went up a little. "Thank you, senpai."

"Is there any way that I could repay you for eating those chocolates that were not meant for me?" he asked. He was still obviously worried about it.

Meine just smiled and shook her head. "No, it's alright. You don't have to do anything. I'm partly at fault too."

"Meine-chan!" someone called.

She looked out the door to see two girls walking towards her: one with shoulder-length, raven hair with deep violet eyes and the other one had her long, black hair tied up in a high ponytail and had greenish-hazel eyes hidden beneath thick glasses. These girls were Minami Hikari and Ichijou Fumie, Meine's friends.

The one who called was Hikari. She and Fumie walked entered the clinic and Meine noticed her aura change the moment her eyes landed on the senpai. She was glaring at him with so much hate and they seemed to know each other.

He started to walk towards the entrance towards Hikari where he stopped in beside her to whisper something in her ear. After that he left.

Fumie took a step towards Meine. "So? Were you able to give your chocolates to Fai-sensei?"

Meine sighed and shook her head. She told her a short version of the story to explain what had happened. Fumie just gave her a hug.

"Don't give up, Meine-chan. I'm sure you'll get your chance." she said.

The three of them decided to leave the infirmary and went their own separate ways to finish their businesses, except for Meine who went back to the classroom to sulk for failing twice today.

What they didn't notice was that somebody has been watching them all along. At the corner of the room, there was a bed there were the blinds were covering it.

Hiding behind those blinds was Fai, who also concealed his presence since Meine had the ability to detect. At first, he was only there to take a short nap, but then Meine arrived and it got exciting.

He pulled away the blinds and sat on his chair. The forgotten chocolates were still on the floor so he picked it up and tasted one.

The sweet and creamy chocolate melted in his mouth. It was sweet, but not too sweet and it was delicious.

Fai picked up the card that Meine had written on and read it silently. He smiled and folded the card in half and inserted it into his pocket.

"Meine-chan is really adorable." he said to himself and popped another chocolate into his mouth. "Mmm... Delicious."

_LUNCH..._

Meine ate the sandwich that she bought from the canteen quickly and excused herself from her friends. She passed by the comfort room first to fix her hair and wash her face.

She walked to the infirmary. She had a feeling that there won't be any girls giving him chocolate after what he had said that morning.

When she got near the infirmary, she heard voices from inside, Fai's voice and a girl's voice. She peeked through the small crack on the door and saw a girl with deep black hair with sideways bangs and red glasses over her chocolate brown eyes. Her name was Ishimaru Miharu and she was holding a small blue box and she was handing it to Fai.

"Please accept this, Fai-sensei." she said.

Meine's eyes were open wide with shock as Fai actually raised his hand and took the box from Miharu's hand. She didn't stick around to hear more of that mushy stuff to be said. She ran away as fast as she can. By the time she noticed where she was, she was on the rooftop where students were prohibited from going. It seems that she has destroyed the lock without knowing.

... Meanwhile down at the infirmary, Fai was holding the box of chocolates that Miharu had handed to him. He knew Meine was standing by the door a few seconds ago, so he decided to tease her a little.

He returned the box gently into Miharu's hand. "Thank you Ishimaru-san but i cannot accept these."

"Eh?" she said. "But sir, it's not as if I'm confessing or anything...my mother just wanted me to give it to every teacher and to the kind doctor in the infirmary."

He just smiled and patted her head like what an adult does to a child. "I'm really sorry, but I will only accept sweets from the person I love."

"Sensei…who is this person that you say you love?" Miharu asked. She placed her box of cookies back into her bag and waited for his reply.

Fai's smile turned into a kinder one as he thought about the young girl. "I'll tell you if you move closer." he said.

After finding out from Fai who that person was, Miharu left.

Fai walked to the window and spotted a red figure up in the rooftop. Somehow, he knew that the figure was Meine.

"This will get more interesting..." he whispered and leaned against the wall.

_P.E. Classes..._

Meine was still distracted about what she saw that noon. Fai received a Valentine's Day present from a girl, even though he said that he won't.

Today for PE, they were going to do laps around the oval. Meine had changed into the uniform, which was a plain white t-shirt with blue lining around the neck and matching blue short shorts.

She still wasn't thinking straight and just followed the rest of her classmates as they ran. Syaoran was starting to get worried and he watched Meine's back. She was still leading the class even though she was in a daze.

Meine failed to notice the small rock in her way and she tripped, sliding a few more feet down the oval, skinning her knee and acquiring a wound on her elbow.

Kurogane and rest of her classmates ran towards her. "Oi, are you alright?" Kurogane-sensei asked. He looked at Syaoran and asked him to carry her to the infirmary.

Syaoran may not seem like it, but he was actually quite strong. He was able to carry Meine without pausing all the way to the infirmary.

The infirmary was packed and full of girls lined up on one side of the wall opposite the beds. The girls made way after seeing Meine being carried. Fai noticed this too and he immediately let her be laid on the bed.

"What happened?" he asked Syaoran as he pulled the blinds to not let Meine be seen by the other girls.

"She tripped and skinned her knee." Syaoran explained.

Fai just nodded and disappeared for a moment. From the tone of his voice earlier, he was obviously pissed.

"If your business here is just to plead for me to accept those gifts then I will have to ask you ladies to leave the infirmary immediately!" he said in a loud voice. Meine could hear some of the girls gasp and scurry outside.

Fai appeared once again and this time opened the blinds. The room was now empty, they got scared since Fai rarely gets angry. He was usually so calm.

He got the necessary materials from the shelf and placed it on her bedside table. Meine winced slightly as Fai poured a disinfectant over her wound.

He paused and raised his head to look at Syaoran. "Syaoran-kun, why don't you return to your classes now? Meine-san will be fine."

Syaoran just looked worriedly at Meine and he saw her nod. He bowed his head at Fai and started for the door when Fai called for his attention.

"Syaoran-kun, is it alright if I ask you to use the window? Those relentless girls outside just won't let you go easily if they see you."

Syaoran nodded and jumped out of the window.

Fai was silent when Syaoran left and Meine didn't dare to break that silence. Now may have been an opportunity to give her chocolates and confess, but she didn't have her chocolates at hand.

"What happened?" Fai asked as he finished placing an adhesive bandage on her wound.

"Eh?"

He sat down on the chair by Meine's bed and threw away the disposable things he used in a trash bin. "You're never distracted with anything and you never trip. Is there something bothering you?"

Meine fell silent and her face turned red. How did Fai know about that stuff?

"Tell me." he said softly. His eyes were different from usual and Meine couldn't quite understand the feeling behind them.

"Sensei..." she began. She was still hesitating on whether or not this was right or not so she just shut her eyes so that she wouldn't see anything. "The person you said that you would only take chocolates from... Is it Ishimaru Miharu-san?"

Fai didn't reply and Meine was starting to get anxious. She opened her eyes slightly and saw that Fai was just there, his chin leaning against the bed and smiling.

"Wha...what?" she asked, her face turning slightly pink.

"Are you jealous?" he asked playfully.

Meine's entire face, including her ears, turned bright red. She instinctively grabbed the pillow behind her and threw it at his face. She could feel her heart beating loudly against her chest.

Fai just took the pillow and still had that smile on his face as he stood up and fluffed the pillow and returned it in its right place. He didn't return to sit back on his previous chair. Instead, he sat on the free space on the bed right beside Meine.

He just smiled and played with a lock of hair that was on Meine's shoulder. "Cute." he said.

Meine felt as if her heart skipped a bit. She held her breath as Fai's hand slightly touched her hand.

"Nee, Meine-san." he said, his voice merely a whisper.

"Y-yes?" she stammered. She didn't know why but she felt oddly calm. Like something that was missing inside her has been made into a whole.

"I want to see you later." he said as he slipped a piece of paper into her hand. "…if you don't mind."

"What do you mean?"

Fai just smiled and took her hand into his. He brought this to his lips and kissed the top of her hand. "I'll be waiting."

He then stood up from his seat and pulled the blind slightly. "You can rest if you want, but you could also return to your class."

Meine slowly lowered her feet off the bed. "I'd like to go back to class please." she said, her voice oddly calm.

Fai just nodded and helped her out the door. The girls from before were gone, probably back to their respective classrooms.

She bowed low and he just smiled. Up until now, she has not opened her fist that held the paper in her hands yet. She walked away and was finally able to breathe freely when she turned to a corner. She felt Fai's gaze boring into the back of her head as she walked.

She hastily opened the piece of paper inside her hand and saw the directions of where they were to meet later. There was a note at the edge of the paper where the directions were drawn and their meeting time, which was at 5 PM.

"I look forward to see you." it said.

She held the paper against her chest. She can't really explain the emotion she was currently feeling, but she knew one thing: she had to tell someone.

She broke out into a run and went straight back to the field were the rest of the class were.

Kurogane made her sit on the side for the rest of the period. He failed to notice that Meine's face was pinker than usual.

Half an hour later in the women's locker room, Hikari was starting to go green with envy.

"Mou!" Hikari whined in a soft voice since Sakura was just on the other side of the room. "It's not fair! Meine-chan was carried by Syaoran-kun like a princess."

Meine just smiled a little. Hikari has been stalking Syaoran ever since he came here as an exchange student and apparently; she was starting to fall in love with him now.

She changed into the tracksuit that was lent to her earlier and she pushed the sleeves up her arms. She tucked in the necklace that she wore inside her shirt and only kept the zipper on the jacket half open.

"Guys, I have to tell you something..."

_AFTER SCHOOL..._

Meine immediately ran out of her classroom after dismissal, throwing her stuff inside her bag and not caring whether or not it was arranged inside. She had 2 hours left to prepare with her meeting with Fai.

She ran to the bike rack and took out her bicycle. Her house should empty now since her parents are working. She ran straight to the bathroom and threw all of her clothes to the washing machine. She took a quick shower and ran back to her room after that.

She rummaged through her closet in search for something to wear when she inevitably just chose a blue, off-shoulder top and a pair of dark brown corduroy shorts. This was the first time she has actually agreed to meet with someone so she didn't exactly know what to do or wear.

She took out a pair of low, black, strappy high heels and slipped it on. It still fit perfectly and it wasn't the type where your feet would hurt when you're walking.

She checked the watch on her wrist and saw that she had about forty-five minutes left to go there. She hastily tied her hair to the side with a blue hair tie before she once again left her house.

With every step she took towards her direction, she could feel her heart beat faster. She continued to walk on the side of the road when a car horn honked behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Kazuto and Hikari inside a car. Hikari seemed angry and scared at the same time. She had her seat belt safely securing her to the chair and she held tightly to the handle above her head.

"Hey." Kazuto called. "Want a ride?"

Meine nodded and she failed to notice Hikari mouthing "no" to her and shaking her head continuously. She closed the door behind her and she wore her own seatbelt.

She couldn't understand when Hikari turned over her shoulder and shook her head. She looked terrified with her eyes as wide as saucers.

She was about to ask why when Kazuto glanced at Meine through his rear view mirror. "Where to, Meine-san?"

"At the ********* Park, please." she said.

Kazuto nodded, Meine could see Hikari's figure shaking in the front seat. She heard click of the car when Kazuto put down the hand brake and the he moved the stick to drive.

Without any warning or so, the move shot forward so fast that they almost hit a trash bin and a telephone pole. Meine now understood why Hikari was so terrified. She held on tightly to her seat and her feet tried to hang onto something, but there was nothing to hold onto.

They arrived at the park with a few minutes to spare. Meine felt as if she never wanted to ride a car ever again.

Kazuto's driving was horrible! He was such a reckless driver and it was as if he's trying to hit everything he saw.

"Thank you." Meine said in a shaky voice and stepped out of the car.

He didn't seem to know that he was that bad and he just waved. Hikari sighed and they drove away, nearly hitting the fence but he evaded this just in time.

Meine fixed her fringe and checked her reflection on the small compact that she carried in her bag. She also took out the piece of paper given to her by Fai earlier that day and followed the directions of where she has to go. It was easy to follow it and the directions led her to a bench at the back of the park. No one other than her and a few animals seems to be here so she took a seat.

She sighed and looked up at the sky which was now changing color as the sun was about to set.

"Oh, you came."

Meine turned around to see Fai wearing casual clothes: a teal, button down shirt with long sleeves and black pants. This was the first time she had seen him not wearing his regular white coat, but she had to admit she did rather like this look on him.

"That's good." he said with a smile and walked towards her. He gave her a subtle "up-down" look. "You look beautiful."

Her face turned pink and she looked down in embarrassment. He seemed to be really good in what he was doing.

"Umm... Fai-sensei..." she began.

Fai's finger touched Meine's lips to stop her from talking. "I would prefer it if you didn't call me sensei outside of school. Right now, you are not a student, and I am not a doctor. You are merely Meine, and I am only Fai. No one can bother us right now."

Meine's blush deepened at that statement. It may have sounded cheesy, but it still made sense. No one can disturb them here.

"Then, let's go!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"Eh? Go where?"

He just smiled and he took Meine's hand to tow her away back to the path where Meine used to get here. Her hand was starting to feel hot for some reason that she couldn't understand.

He pulled her to a car parked in the small parking lot that made Meine's jaw drop in surprise.

It was a luxurious black convertible that looked like it was new. It was really shiny, and the wheels looked amazing.

Fai just laughed at her expression and stood close to her, holding the small of her back. Meine blushed, but didn't seem to mind. He gently pushed her to the passenger's seat and opened the door for her.

Meine looked up at the black removable roof of the convertible to distract herself from looking at Fai too much as he went around the car to get to the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he closed the door behind him. She pulled on the seat belt and locked it securely. She didn't want what happened inside Kazuto- senpai's car again, but Fai seemed to be the responsible and careful type.

He just smiled and inserted the key into the ignition. "You'll see." The engine roared to life and he slowly drove out of his parking space to the main road.

Meine pursed her lips a little like a pouty child. "Tell me please?"

Fai just gave a little laugh and he patted Meine's hand that rested on her lap. "You'll see... Now is it alright if we order drive through for dinner? The place I'm going to bring you to is a long ride from here."

"Sure. I don't mind."

Meine sat on her seat, the food from that fast food drive-through rested at the side of her feet on the car's floor. The sun had already set and they have been inside his convertible for about 45 minutes.

She didn't mind at all. She liked having Fai all to herself inside the car's limited space. They were only a foot apart, and Meine liked that.

During that 45 minute car ride, Fai kept asking her different questions that he wants to know about her. She answered every question as she sipped on the chocolate milkshake that he bought for her.

"Eh?" Fai exclaimed. "You can really eat that much chocolate? I'm surprised you're not getting fatter!"

Meine playfully punched his shoulder and the two of them laughed.

"We're here." he said suddenly. Meine opened her eyes and saw the calm and beautiful sea sparkling under the full moon.

Fai pushed the blue button on the dashboard and the roof pushed back. Meine could smell the breeze of the sea and the cool wind. Suddenly she was tempted to sit on the headrest.

"Fai-san, can I...?" she asked with a big smile.

"Sure." he unlocked her seatbelt for her and slowed down as Meine raised her feet up to the chair and she slowly raised herself to sit on the headrest.

"Hold on tight." he said and he sped up a little.

Meine felt the cool wind blow on her face and her hair created a trail behind her. It only lasted for about a few minutes until Fai entered the beach's entrance. There was no one there, probably because it was a weeknight.

He stopped at a small hill covered with white sand that overlooked the beach. Meine sat down on her seat once again and tried to fix her bangs which were blown back by the wind.

Fai took the paper bag of their take out and handed her share. Meine took it and ate it slowly, now she was the one who asked him questions, even though his answers were quite vague and he didn't answer them properly.

"Nee, Fai-san." Meine said and opened the door to her side. "Can we take a walk?"

"Sure." Fai replied and he didn't bother to open the door on his side and he jumped coolly out of the car, making Meine stare at his graceful figure he didn't bother to open the door on his side and he jumped coolly out of the car, making Meine stare at his graceful figure. She shook her head and ran towards the beach, taking off her shoes along the way.

"Fai-san!" Meine waved as she ran towards the sea and let her feet get wet by the moving water. She wiggled her toes and took a step back to further feel the sand on her feet.

He just followed her as she ran across the sand. She seemed to having lots of fun.

She was getting further and further away until she tripped.

"Meine-chan!" he called and ran towards her. She was on her knees and she had one hand over her face.

"Ouch..." she groaned.

Fai kneeled in front of her and tried to take her hand away from her face. "Meine-chan, are you okay?" He gently pried away her fingers and noticed that her nose was a little red.

"Are you okay?" he asked again. He wiped away the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes and he brushed away the sand on her face.

His thumb froze slightly on Meine's lip and he leaned forward slowly to kiss the tip of her nose.

Suddenly, the feeling that surrounded them changed. It was like what Meine had felt when she was on the bed in the infirmary.

He leaned forward slowly and Meine instinctively closed her eyes as he moved closer. Their lips met and Fai wrapped her arms around her waist to pull her closer.

Fai pulled away after a few seconds, but it felt much longer than that.

Just as Meine was about to open her mouth to say something, the necklace around her neck started to glow...

"What the—?" Meine muttered.

Fai held her tightly as a black vortex appeared under their feet and they started falling down.

Mokona turned away from the sketchbook and opened its mouth. A ball of light appeared from out of its mouth and it landed on a free space in the room.

From that light, the five of them appeared, wearing the same clothes as they did when they left Piffle World.

"Where are we?" Fai asked. He was unaware that he was actually holding Meine's wrist.

"Moko-chan!" Sakura exclaimed as she turned her head and saw the little white creature wearing a red beret.

Mokona just smiled and raised a hand. "Welcome back, everyone!"

Kurogane glared at Mokona. "Hey, white meat bun! Where were you hiding? We were looking all over for you and..." He trailed off and scratched his head. "Strange... I can't remember anything that happened."

Syaoran nodded. "Yes, what were we doing all this time?"

Meine pushed herself away from Fai and at the same moment, she picked up the powerful wave from the feather.

Mokona took out Sakura's feather from behind its body. "Ta-da! Here you go!"

Syaoran smiled as he stood up, the rest of them doing the same. "Did you find that all by yourself, Mokona?"

The creature shook its head. "No, I didn't. A very pretty lady helped me out. That person has the power to control anything in the world she draws. She said that inside her world, she can control time!"

Meine for some unknown reason, felt really happy…like something important happened during that time when they can't remember anything.

She looked up to see Fai's face and their eyes met. He smiled and that made Meine's face burn in embarrassment.

Mokona smiled and its wings appeared on its back as it got ready to depart from another world.

Meine stood beside Fai as a strong wind pulled them once again into its mouth.

Their eyes met once again and he smiled again, but this smile was different from the one earlier. It looked like a real smile, the one that truly showed his emotions and not just a mask.

_-chapter owari-

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_

**heyzelle:** okay... that was shorter than our usual, but I think it's still kind of long. anyway, this isn't exactly one of the worlds that i like (since i usually base the dialogue from the manga).  
thank god that's over. :)) this world that they are in is a filler episode from the anime. (just so you know)

anyway, one important note: from the next chapter onwards, we are going to cut each chapter into different segments, not just by world that they drop into (since many people are complaining that it's so long and they're to lazy to read it) from now on, we will cut the following chapters into more chapters.

yey!

more cliffhangers!

*evil laugh*

m(_ _)m thank you for supporting our humble little story. please do not forget to **review** and please support us until the end of their journey m(_ _)m **  
**


	7. VII: The Book of Memories

_Disclaimers obviously apply_

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**VII. The Book of Memories  
**

The group dropped into a new world and Meine conveniently dropped on top of Fai and Kurogane and saved herself from the bushes that they have dropped into. She looked around and spotted Sakura's feet a few meters away. Mokona dropped to the ground beside Sakura's feet and they heard the creature scream Syaoran's name.

Meine got up and ran the few feet and she saw Syaoran lying down on the grass. Sakura was holding Syaoran's hand and she held it against her chest.

"Syaoran-kun..." she whispered and tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

Meine knelt down on the grass beside Syaoran and she placed her hand on his chest. "Don't worry. He just fainted."

Kurogane carried Syaoran to a bench not far from where they fell. Sakura laid Syaoran's head on her lap so that he wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona decided to go to the main part of the city of this world while Meine and Sakura were left behind to guard Syaoran.

Sakura held Syaoran's hand tightly in his sleep. She kept on looking at his face worriedly from time to time that Meine was starting to get annoyed, but she didn't say anything. He is her most important person after all.

Suddenly Syaoran started groaning and he looked like he was in pain. Sakura jumped up and tried to shake Syaoran awake, but nothing happened.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura called as she continued to shake him.

His eyes opened wide and he breathed in deeply. He took a minute to recover and normalize his breathing.

"To be like this right now... I'm so sorry. It's as if something's pinning me down so I can't get up... Sorry about this."

"Are you really all right?" Sakura asked.

The two of them seems to have forgotten that Meine was even there so she decided to just watch it play in front of her. The two of them were having a moment, and she didn't want to ruin it.

"I'm fine." he replied as he propped himself up slowly using his elbows.

"Really? If you're hiding it from me, it'll just make me more worried."

"It's okay, it really was only a strange dream."

"A nightmare?"

"You could say it was a nightmare."

Sakura held both of Syaoran's hands. "You know, the feather that Moko-chan gave me allowed me to recover this memory. The last time i had a really scary dream, the high priest Yukito told me that doing this would help." She leaned forward and let her forehead touch his. Meine noticed the blush in Syaoran's cheeks. "If Syaoran-kun has a nightmare, let my good dreams be transferred to Syaoran-kun. This way Syaoran-kun will experience very warm dreams."

Suddenly, Meine noticed the two men had come back and Mokona was standing on top of Fai's round hat and of course it noticed Sakura and Syaoran as well.

"It's love!" it said in a loud voice. "~Love!"

The two of them jumped and Sakura immediately let go of Syaoran's hands.

"No... That..." Syaoran said his face red. Sakura was blushing as well. "Syaoran-kun had a nightmare. This... That... That's why!"

"Were you performing a charm?" Fai asked. The two of them nodded.

Meine held Mokona close to her face and whispered to its ear. "They almost forgot that I was even here." both of them smirked.

Syaoran tried to change the subject immediately. "W-what's this country like?"

Fai smiled. "Again, we have travelled to a country that's pretty different... The clothes look like this. He took one of the three big packages from Kurogane and opened one. "First of all, we got you guys your own clothes by selling our clothes."

"Thank you very much!" the three of them said in unison.

Meine was handed a big package. From the weight of it, Meine could tell that the fabric was quite heavy. She also felt the shape of a boot from the outside.

"Have you felt any sign of the feather?" Syaoran asked.

"Mokona still can't feel it." it said. "For some reason, this country is full of mysterious powers."

"Mysterious powers?" Sakura asked.

"This is a country where Mokona can walk around without any problems. But, to Syaoran-kun, this country will probably be wonderfully pleasant."

"Ehh?" Syaoran asked.

* * *

The five of them stood at the side walk of the city. There were horses with butterfly wings pulling carriages. There were even people with wings and a girl flying on a staff.

Meine stood there in her new clothes which was a black, long-sleeved blouse with ribbons and lace on the cuffs. It had a high-neck collar with black lace, a black cravat and a big bow around her neck; a tiered, below-the-knee, pink skirt with a wide bottom and a black chiffon on top of it with ruffled lines to make it look layered. She also had some black high socks and a pair of fitting, mid-calf, high heeled boots. Her hair was tied into two high pigtails on either side of her head.

"This is a country of magic." Fai explained. "Apparently, everyone studies it in school. Because of this Mokona can be outside."

As of the moment, Mokona was standing on Meine's shoulder.

"Fai-san..." Sakura said. "You said that Syaoran-kun would find this country pleasant..."

Fai smiled and walked forward, leading them to a dome-shaped building. There were extraordinary lamps that would light the path of the few flights of stairs that led towards the building.

"What is this place?" Syaoran asked. He opened the giant double doors, which was actually light compared to its size.

Meine gasped the moment she saw the interior of the tall structure. The inside of the magestic building was a library, bigger than any other library Meine has seen. The books were inside the shelves that lined the entire wall of the building. The library in her castle was nothing compared to this.

"Wow!" Syaoran said and they walked inside towards the shelves which was standing in the middle of the building. Excitement showed clearly in his sparkling eyes.

"So many books!" Sakura said, looking up at the high walls.

"This country reasearches magic from all sorts of aspects." Fai said. "That's why there are so many books related to magic. Of course there should be plenty about history too."

"It seems like this country's library is the largest among those of the countries in the vicinity." Mokona added.

Syaoran's smile was as wide as Fai's. "I wonder if we could read them."

Meine looked over at Sakura and noticed that she had a content smile on her face as she watched Syaoran walk towards the nearest bookshelf and pulled out a book and flipped it to a random page.

"I can read it!" he said.

"I'm glad." Sakura said with a smile.

"I don't understand it entirely, but it's similar to an old language from a country I once visited with my father."

Meine decided to look around and she noticed a book with nothing written on the spine. She looked at the cover and for some reason it looked oddly familiar. She flipped through the pages and found the pages blank.

"Weird book." she muttered and returned it to its original position.

A few minutes later, Fai passed by the same bookshelf that Meine had gotten the book and he stopped. He felt some sort of power coming from a particular book. He picked it up and opened to the first page when all of a sudden his surroundings changed.

* * *

Fai found himself in a completely different place. He found himself in a patio at a structure that looked like a castle. There on the patio was a family of four: the parents, and two children. One was a boy with dark hair like his father's and bright green eyes like his mother, and a little girl probably around the age of three or four. She looked a lot like Meine. She had shoulder length hair and she wore a pale pink and white dress. Fai could not help but smile as the girl picked the flowers and made a wreath.

"Mama!" the young Meine called and she ran back to her parents, holding out the wreath that she had just finished making. "Mama, this is for you."

Her mother smiled warmly and took the wreath from her small hands. "Thank you, Meine."

The man smiled as well and patted his daughter's head. "Why don't you play with your brother?"

She nodded enthusiastically and turned to run towards the boy who Fai figured to be a young Akemi. She leaned forward to be able to see his face. "Nee, nii-chan. Let's play."

Akemi didn't even look up from the book on his lap and just ignored her. Meine didn't seem to like that and tugged on her older brother's sleeve.

"Nii-chan, let's play!" she repeated. He was obviously starting to get ticked off and he stood up almost immediately that Meine was thrown back a little. He shut his book and tucked it under his arm before he walked away.

Meine started to get teary-eyed and she sniffed. "Nii-chan won't play with me..." she said.

Her father stood up from his seat and he patted Meine's head. "It's all right, Meine." he said.

Her lower lip stuck out a little and she wrapped her arms around her father's thigh. "Papa, will you play with me?"

Fai smiled and looked at the book in his hand._ "So this book shows Meine-chan's memories of when she was a child."_ he thought. He wasn't that surprised when he saw that the page moved on its own and the scene changed completely once again.

This time they were in a big room wherte there were two large chairs on top of a stage. There sat Meine's parents. Meine was also there, older than she was in the other page, probably around the age of eight. Her hair was longer and it was nearly brushing her shoulder blades.

_"But what is with this book? Why does it know Meine-chan's past? I feel bad snooping, but it seems that I cannot let go of this magic book."_

He turned the page and the scenery once again changed, but he didn't look at his surroundings. He scrutinized the page on the book and noticed that there was something wrong with that particular page. There were letters written on the book, but it seems that it was written on top of something that was erased.

He looked up to see Meine crying and on the bed was her mother, pale and unmoving. He looked back at the page and this time, confirmed that the original letterings on the book have been previously erased and was replaced with a new one.

_"Meine-chan's memories have been tampered with!"_

He turned to the next page and the scene changed into a long corridor. It showed the courtyard and the garden on one side. Meine and her older brother Akemi stood in front of their father. The two of them looked like they were the same age as the page before.

"Take care of each other." their father said.

Meine didn't respond and just stood there. She seemed to be shocked from what her father, her one remaining parent, told her. Akemi on the other hand, who looked like he was in his late teens, understood and nodded. He was holding Meine's shoulders as their father spoke.

Her father wrapped his arms around his children and turned. He was leaving Meine and Akemi alone, even though his wife has just died.

Tears were falling silently down Meine's cheeks. She looked at her father's back as he walked away without turning around.

"Father..." she whispered.

Akemi kneeled down in front of her and he gently patted her head. "It's going to be alright, Meine. From now on, it's just going to be the two of us. Okay? I promise that I will protect you no matter what."

Meine cried louder and she hugged her older brother's neck tightly. Fai cannot help but feel sorry for the young girl.

The page turned on its own and the Meine in this memory is around the age of twelve and thirteen.

She was learning martial arts (and sword fighting) from Akemi. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she was wearing shorts and Chinese slippers. She jumped high and attack, only to be blocked by him and she was thrown away. She landed on her feet like an agile cat and she lunged at him once again. She hit each target perfectly and she finally dropped to the ground her chest moving up and down quickly as she tried to cool down.

"Good job." Akemi said and dropped a towel on her head. Meine took this and wiped away the sweat off her face.

The page turned and Meine was in a garden filled with flowers. Her hair reached up to her waist and it was braided, tied with a blue ribbon. Her eyes were closed and she was holding a single flower between her fingers. She looked happy, unlike what she looked in the past pages.

She heard a rustling sound behind her and she stood up instantly. She walked towards the direction of the sound, poised to attack. She moved a little bit more and she looked to see a man sitting under a tree. He had short dark hair and he wore a long cloak.

"Who are you?" Meine asked aloud and walked towards the man. Fai stared in shock as her eyes shined gold, her pupils turning to slits and her nails turned into something that looked like talons.

_"What the—?"_

The man opened his eyes and Fai recognized him. He was the man they met back in Outo/Edonis, the man who up until now had Sakura's feather in his hands: Seishiro.

He raised his hands up and smiled at the girl. "Please do not worry, I mean no harm."

"Who are you?" Meine repeated, moving forward so that her nails were touching his throat.

"My name is Seishiro." he said. "Nice to meet you."

The page turned on its own once again and Fai was in the same patio that he first saw when he opened the book. Meine was there eating something brown that he could tell was chocolate. With her were Seishiro and her older brother Akemi with them. She seemed to be enjoying herself quite a lot.

"Nee, Seishiro. Do you know how to fight?" Meine asked.

Seishiro smiled. "As a matter of fact I do. Would you like me to show you?"

She nodded enthusiastically and she placed her chocolate on a plate, only to be stopped by Akemi when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll do it. I'm bored anyway."

Akemi and Seishiro stood in front of each other with a few meters of distance. They wore no coats and other excess clothes that may get in the way.

"Come at me in any way you want, Akemi-san." Seishiro said and just stood there.

The prince of Rosette nodded and he crouched to attack, almost as if he was disappearing because of his speed. He appeared behind Seishiro on his right side and he tried to attack.

Seishiro turned to the right and he used his leg to block the attack. He was graceful, considering his height and size. His attacks were mostly moves that used his feet and he only seldom used his hands.

She also noticed that Akemi's attacks were mostly to his right. That was when she noticed that something was wrong with his right eye, making it his blind spot.

"Akemi, stop it!" she said.

Akemi stopped and he gave a short laugh. It seems that the two of them were doing something that they considered to be child's play.

Meine jumped off her seat and she ran to Seishiro. "Please teach me the ways on how you fight!"

"It's going to be hard." Seishiro said. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

She had a determined look in her eyes and she smiled. "Of course!"

Fai watched quietly without saying a word or even a thought. The page turned on its own and Meine was wearing fitting clothes. She and Seishiro were standing a few feet in front of her. They were in a wide open space and there was green grass under their feet.

"The moves that I would teach you are probably not suited for you, but it would broaden your fighting skills." he explained. "You probably already have noticed my eye." He raised his hand to touch his right eye.

Meine nodded.

Seishiro smiled and stood up straight. "Come at me at any way you want. Then I will demonstrate to you my fighting technique."

The young princess nodded and she momentarily disappeared. Fai's eyes followed her fast movement and she appeared behind Seishiro, her hand was in the "hand knife" position and she was poised to hit the back of his neck when Seishiro swiftly turned and he used his leg to block her attack and kick her away in one direction.

Fai turned to the next page, guessing that this part was probably quite long and he was getting board. The way Seishiro fought was the same as Syaoran's, so he knew a little about it.

The next scenery was at a courtyard filled with fragrant roses. Meine and Seishiro were sitting by a tea table and there were lots of pastries.

"Hey gaki hime." Seishiro began. He has recently given Meine a new nickname which meant bratty princess. Meine didn't particularly like it.

"I told you not to call me that!" she said.

He just smiled. "Do you know a pair of pureblood vampire twins that had settled in at this country?"

"Pureblood vampire twins?" she repeated. Seishiro nodded. "I do know of a pair of vampire twins named Kamui-san and Subaru-san. Their house is not too far from here."

"I see..." he murmured.

"Why are you asking?"

"It's nothing. I'm just curious."

Meine looked at him and just shrugged before she took a sip of her tea.

Fai turned the page and he found himself inside Meine's room and it was dark outside the window. Meine was tucked under the covers and she was breathing evenly. Her hair was let down and it spread out behind her. She looked like a cat, sleeping in that position.

Her eyes opened when a loud crashing sound came from outside. She rubbed her eyes and she yawned.

"What was that?" she asked aloud and she pushed away the covers away from her body. She stood up and went towards the door when she heard someone scream at the end of the hallway that led to the courtyard.

Meine ran towards the direction of the sound and she spotted something in that place that made her eyes go wide with shock.

There in that courtyard was Seishiro, standing amidst the bodies of several dead guards of the castle. In one corner were two men that Fai had never seen before. This was probably the pair of vampire twins, Kamui and Subaru, which they were talking about before.

Subaru was in Kamui's arms. Although unharmed, his eyes were closed.

She looked at them with confusion then she looked at Seishiro, who had his glasses placed over his eyes. "Kamui...what happened? What's wrong with Subaru-chan?"

He didn't reply and he just looked at Meine for a moment before he hugged Subaru tighter to his chest. He emitted a weird glow and a magic circle appeared beneath their feet and they disappeared.

"What's going on?" she asked Seishiro and she walked towards him slowly. He had this cold look in his eyes that Meine was actually afraid of. She tried not to step on the bodies that blocked her way towards her friend. She stopped in front of him and she tugged on his shirt like a child. "Seishiro...?"

"Why don't we stop this nonsense already, Princess Meine?" his hand moved swiftly and Meine was thrown away to the wall. That created a crater around her and the wall had cracks on it. She slid down to the ground and she had a big wound on her head and her blood trickled down her face.

Fai was surprised to see that the wound actually disappeared by the time Meine stood up and her eyes were filled with tears.

_"She's regenarating..."_

"As expected from a pureblood vampire like those twins, your regeneration rate is really impressive." Seishiro said.

Fai wasn't that surprised anymore, his suspicions have been answered. He knew that Meine wasn't normal. No normal teenage girl would actually know how to fight than she does...

"Seishiro...?" she repeated and walked towards him. She was still a child, no matter how strong she was. She was confused. She was never betrayed like this before.

He was about to kick Meine away again when Akemi appeared out of nowhere and he pulled Meine away.

"I knew something like this would happen any day." he said as he set Meine on her feet. "I had suspicions about you, but Meine pleaded for me to let you stay here."

"Akemi-san..." Seishiro whispered and he smiled. "Guessing from you, you probably already knew about this from the start."

"I did, but I decided to let you stay from Meine's sake. I haven't seen her smile like that ever since our father left. I thought that you were actually the one to let Meine be happy again... But it turns out that I was mistaken.

"Meine probably didn't notice, but you seem to have vampire blood flowing inside your body... Subaru's blood to be exact."

"That is correct. I met the twins in another world once, and Subaru agreed to give me some of his blood. You see, I am a hunter that specializes on hunting vampires. But when I arrived in this world, it seems that there are other stronger, much more precious than Subaru and Kamui..."

Akemi waited for him to continue. Seishiro raised his hands and he pointed at the girl standing behind him.

He glared at the enemy and he raised an arm protectively in front of her. "Let's just see you try..." he growled, his eyes turning gold.

Seishiro just smiled and his right eye glowed and a magic circle, similar to what appeared under the twin's feet. "I don't want to fight you, Akemi-san. He smiled and looked at Meine. "After I capture Subaru and Kamui, I will come for you, Meine."

With that, he disappeared. Akemi kneeled down in front of Meine and he placed his hands on her shoulders. She was still crying, scared probably.

"Meine, are you all right?" he asked.

The girl didn't reply. She was just standing there, tears in her eyes and no sign of wounds anywhere. Akemi just hugged her and he gently rubbed her back. "It's okay Meine. Just close your eyes and go back to sleep..."

Meine did as she was told and she leaned against Akemi's chest. It seems that she has fallen asleep even before she was carried back to her room.

_"Poor Meine-chan..." _Fai thought.

He skipped a few pages and the scene was inside a long room. The mage concluded that this was a dining room, considering that there was a long table in the middle and big chandeliers hangging from the ceiling.

Meine, who was about the age or probably one or two years when they had met, was sitting there to the right side of Akemi, who seems to have taken his father's chair on the seat. She was pouting, from what Fai could see. She wasn't talking to Akemi, and neither was he. He was just smiling and didn't seem to mind her.

She glared at him and she turned her head away with a huff. Fai cannot help but smile and laugh a little. She looked absolutely adorable being like that, but the Meine now hasn't done that even once... He kind of wanted to see it.

"Thank you for the meal." Meine said and she stood up from her seat. She turned her back on Akemi when she felt him pull on her wrist and she crashed back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and he placed his head on her shoulder.

"Meine, where are you going?" he said in a sing-song voice.

Meine tried to wriggle out of his hold as she slowly walked forward. "Let me go!"

Akemi just grinned and he turned Meine around so that she was facing him. He leaned forward towards her face, as if about to kiss her, but he moved a little bit to kiss her forehead instead.

She pushed away, hiding her red face behind her fringe. She stomped out of the room and into an empty hallway. Akemi followed behind her, easily keeping with her pace.

"Why are you following me?" she asked as she continued to walk towards the library. He didn't reply and just followed her. Whenever she looked back, she always had this smile on his face.

Meine was starting to get pissed. It was okay when Akemi had stayed with her inside the library in her home, the garden that was full of butterflies and the study for her lessons... But him following her to the bathroom so she could wash her hands was too much.

"Mou~! Why are you following me everywhere?" she said as she spun around to face him. "Can you please just let me be even just for the rest of the day?"

Suddenly, Meine found herself pinned against the stone wall of the open corridor. Akemi had a hand on the wall beside her head and the other on her waist. His eyes were different from the ones he wore the whole day. It was serious.

"Meine." he said, his voice confirmed that he was really serious. "Can I kiss you?"

Her face flushed and she looked away. "Of course not!"

"Meine, you know that the two of us are betrothed and are to marry." he said.

"Yes, I know. The elders told me a few years back." she said nonchalantly. She avoided looking into his eyes.

"Are you okay with this?"

"Why are you asking this now?"

His hand moved to her chin and he gently moved it to make her look into his eyes. She was blushing. The way he looked at her was smoldering and Meine can't seem to look away.

"Meine." he said.

"W-what?"

"I love you."

Meine's face turned even redder than before. She didn't respond and she just kept on looking down. Akemi once again raised her chin and he slowly leaned forward, just like what he did in the dining room.

Instead of moving at the last minute to kiss Meine's forehead, Akemi went ahead and kissed Meine full on the lips. Her eyes were wide open and her head was tilted up since he was taller, and he was pushing the small of her back towards his body.

Fai closed his eyes at this scene. He could barely control himself when the Akemi from Piffle World kissed Meine.

He pulled away after a minute and he placed smaller kisses on Meine's cheek down to the base of her neck.

She closed her eyes shut, thinking that if he wanted he could bite her if he wanted. Not that it would do him anything good...

Akemi pulled away and just stood there with a smile, as if nothing had ever happened to begin with. Meine felt hurt and used.

She shoved Akemi out of her way and she ran down the hall. For some reason, she felt as if something was going to happen and she won't like the outcome of it.

Meine ended up in front of her room so she opened the door and threw herself onto her bed. She just lay there on her stomach and she hugged the big fluffy pillow in her arms.

The door opened and Akemi entered the room, a smile was no longer present in his features. He closed the door behind him and he sat down on the foot of her bed.

"Meine..." he began.

She didn't respond and continued to ignore him.

"Meine, I really have to talk to you..."

She still didn't reply but she shifted slightly to change her position. Akemi took this as a yes and he sighed.

"I just need you to listen to me." he said. Meine didn't reply, but she was silent. She was waiting patiently for him to continue. "Do you remember what our father always used to say to us when we were children?"

Meine nodded. "There is no such thing as coincidence, there is only hitsuzen."

Akemi nodded. "What about the other thing?"

"Follow what your heart is telling you to do."

He nodded again. "That's right. Today, I think I'm going to tell you the same thing today... Just follow your heart and everything would be all right."

She sat up and tried to say something when a loud sound, something like a small explosion and the sound of swords clashing against each other was heard from outside.

"What's going on?" Meine asked and she jumped off the bed when Akemi grabbed her wrist and held it tightly.

"Please Meine. Stay here in this room."

"Akemi, what is going on outside?" she demanded. He just looked at her with that pleading look in his eyes. "Don't tell me you knew about this..."

"I did." he whispered. "I saw it in a dream, that people clad in clothes that are not from this world will arrive here and attack."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Akemi's eyebrows met in the middle and he hesitated to tell her. "In my dream, they had one target."

"Who or what was the target?" Meine asked. The suspense was nearly killing her. "Tell me."

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "In my dream, the target...is you."

At the exact same moment, bits and pieces of broken glass entered the room as someone came into the princess' room without permission. The intruder was wearing this black clothing that covered everything except his eyes.

Akemi stood in front of Meine and the attacker. His nails grew into long claws and he glared with much intensity that would make a normal person flinch.

Meine noticed this emblem that looked like a bat or something close to it. She looked at it clearly and she noticed the red outline on it.

"Meine, I want you to go somewhere where no one can find you in the castle." he whispered to her discreetly. "I'll protect you, so you run away and be somewhere safe."

Before Meine could even react, Akemi lunged and he attacked. The intruder evaded. He maneuvered around Akemi and he crouched down and he ran towards his target.

"Meine!" Akemi screamed. He tried to use himself as a shield and protect her, but Meine was not that slow. When the timing was right and the attacker was in the right position, Meine jumped high into the air and she used her nails to cut his throat wide open.

Blood sprayed all over the floor on her room, missing the white rug just by a few inches.

She sighed and she turned to Akemi. "Will you please stop with you protecting me already? I'm going to be fine..."

Akemi sighed in relief but then he felt something was going to happen. The magic barrier that he had asked the high priest to place in the room was being breached by an incredibly powerful magic. He tried to keep his smile on his face; he held both of Meine's shoulders as he tried to search the room on where the power was coming from.

All of a sudden, a tear on the background appeared and a silhouette of a person appeared. He wore a smile on his face. Meine noticed that something was wrong and she turned around to see that.

Fai looked at the hole from another dimension and he just stared at it. He had figured that he would still be behind all of this.

A sword appeared on the man-behind-the-tear's hand and he thrust this to Meine's direction.

It was like everything was going too fast and on slow motion at the same time. She couldn't react. She was too baffled with all of the happenings going on that day.

Akemi pulled Meine out of the way immediately, but the sword went right through his chest.

Blood came out from his mouth. The sword was pulled out of his body and his blood splattered all over the place.

Meine stood there, her heart hammering against her chest. She couldn't find her voice and she watched as Akemi's body slowly fell back to the floor.

Her body seems to have moved on its own and she moved to catch Akemi even before he dropped to the hard floor. Only now did the tears start to roll of the corners of her eyes.

She noticed that he wasn't regenerating. The open wound remained open and her dress was starting to get soaked because of the blood.

She caught a whiff of his blood and she noticed that there was something on that sword when he was stabbed: poison, and a strong one at that.

"Akemi..." she cried and she held him up. "Akemi, don't leave me..."

He opened his mouth to say something but blood came out instead. The tears on Meine's face started to fall down more. He raised his arm slowly and he wiped her tears away.

"Please don't cry." he whispered. "I told you, I would protect you no matter what... Even if I have to sacrifice myself for your safety..."

"Akemi, don't leave me please..." she pleaded.

"Meine, I love you. Follow what your heart is telling you to do. Even if the people around you are against your decisions in the future, just look straight ahead."

"Stop trying to say goodbye! Don't leave me, Akemi... I love you too..."

He smiled and he touched Meine's lips with his finger tips. He was starting to get pale and his hands were losing its warmth. "I finally got to hear those words from you."

"You'll hear it a lot more if you just stay put while I call a doctor!"

He held Meine's wrist lightly. He shook his head slowly. "It's no use, Meine. Just stay by my side."

"But-!"

Akemi shook his head. "Instead of doing that, will you please just stay by my side?"

She closed her eyes and more tears started to spill out of her eyes. Her shoulders were shaking now and she placed her head on his shoulder. He smiled, his half-lidded eyes looked tired.

"Meine, I have a request..."

She looked up and she wiped her tears away with one hand. "What is it?"

He cupped Meine's cheek. "I want you to be happy... I'll be watching you from above..."

His hand dropped down and it was limp. He had gone, leaving Meine alone in the living world. She hugged Akemi's body close to her chest. She felt like the pain in her chest was going to break her apart.

Meine screamed. The tears flowed freely. She was all alone now.

Fai had the sudden urge to touch her head and comfort her, but he knew well that he can't move. As he was just about to turn to the next page, since he didn't want to see Meine devastated anymore, he saw that the girl was starting to emit a weird glow. She was still hugging Akemi's body, and she was still crying.

_"Why is Meine-chan glowing?" _he thought and he decided not to move to the next page.

There Fai saw that Meine's power was seeping out of her when her emotions go awry. He noticed this the first time he saw her that she had some sort of powerful seal in her.

Her surroundings started to spark as she continued to cry. She must be unaware of it, but the magical energy that she was emitting was strong.

But then it suddenly stopped, like something inside her snapped and the glowing stopped. She had fainted.

He continued to watch the scene in front of him, until the page turned by itself and he watched a different memory. This time, the setting was inside a different room, much plainer than her room.

Meine was just sitting there on the bed in a daze. She looked like she was on the verge of crying but she wasn't. It seems that she has cried a lot, since her eyes were still red and swollen.

An aged maid entered the room after knocking twice. "Meine-sama, it has been two days. It is not healthy to keep yourself locked up inside your room and not eat at all."

She kept her head down. "Sorry... I'm not hungry..." she whispered.

The maid sighed. "Then why don't you just take a walk around the castle to stretch your legs? Breathe in some fresh air."

Meine didn't reply and she just sat there. The maid left eventually and she was left alone again.

She stood up and she looked outside the window. The view from this room showed the city just outside the castle walls. She saw her own reflection in the glass and she saw the way she looked.

Apparently, she didn't like it and she turned away from it. "I guess I'll take a walk." she said aloud to herself. She fixed her hair first and tied it back to a sloppy ponytail and she stepped out of the room.

She walked slowly down the castle corridor, letting her feet take her where ever she subconsciously wanted to go. By the time she realized where she was, it was too late to turn back.

Meine had ended up going to Akemi's bedroom, the one where she ordered the servants not to touch, or even enter just to clean the mess on the desk. She wanted everything to be the same, as if he was still amongst the living.

She slowly opened the door and looked inside. It was as big as her room, except the things inside were simple yet elegant. A large bed stood in the corner and a big desk on the other.

She walked towards the bed and she ran her fingers on the fabrics smooth feel. The fluffed pillows still smelled a little like his hair and she breathed in its scent.

"Akemi..." she whispered sadly.

Suddenly, she heard paper rustling behind her and she immediately turned to look at the table. Nothing seems to have changed, but she walked towards it for a closer look.

There were a couple of open books on the table. They were thick and opened on certain pages with paper clips keeping them in place.

She took one of the big books on top and she read the big bold heading on top of the paper.

**"The Time-Space Witch"** it read.

Intrigued, Meine continued to read the rest of the page.

"The Time-Space Witch, also known as the Witch of Dimensions, is a powerful witch who is the only one who could grant wishes for an equal and suitable price. The witch is said to have strong magical powers and that she is able to send different people to different dimensions. She lives in a shop unseen to those who have no wishes in a different world."

Meine was confused. She didn't understand anything that she has read. This book looked old and it looked like Akemi got it from their father's private library.

She set the book back on the desk and she picked up the next one. It had a sketch of a beautiful rose on the upper left part of one page.

"**The Eglantine Rose**" it read. It was another one of Akemi's weird books. She decided to just read it again.

"The Eglantine Rose is a mysterious rose with power that is said to be able to revive the dead. It is a rare flower only found in the world called..."

Meine could not read the rest of the paragraph since it has faded already and no longer readable. She cursed softly and she placed the book down on the desk with a huff.

It was then that she noticed the connection. She placed the books side by side.

Fai watched as Meine pulled the chair from behind her and sat on it. She was thinking hard and she read the page again and again.

After a few silent minutes, Meine groaned and lay her head on the desk.

"The Dimensional Witch... Eglantine Rose..." she said aloud. "If I go to this witch, I can wish for me to go to several worlds in search for it... But that would mean that I would have to leave Rosette..."

The page turned and Fai was inside Meine's room again, but now it was clean and there were no signs whatsoever that a fight has ever occurred in here.

Meine was standing by the window and she was holding a picture frame with a picture of her family when everyone was still together. Fai noticed that she was wearing the same clothes and the same hairstyle that she wore the first time the two of them met.

"I'll be leaving now." she said and she hugged the picture against her chest. "I'll take care of myself, I promise."

The edges of the memory then started to fade as Fai was watching.

_"What's happening?"_ he thought.

* * *

Meine looked over at Fai and she noticed that he hasn't been moving for half an hour now. She crept up to him and peeked to see which book he was reading.

She recognized that it was the book that she had opened before and she saw that it was empty so she returned it. But why would Fai be reading an empty book?

"Fai-san." she called. He didn't reply. She didn't want to worry her other companions by screaming at the blond mage so she decided to go simpler...

She touched the book that he was "reading" and the book glowed slightly. Fai snapped out of his daze and he took an immediate step away, leaving the book on Meine's hand. He looked at the book that she was holding with one hand and she looked at her face.

"Meine-chan..."

"Are you okay? You've been staring at an empty book for quite some time now."

"Empty?" he asked. "Did you happen to open this book before me?"

"I think so. Is there something wrong?"

Fai didn't seem to hear her as he took the book gently out of Meine's hold and he tucked it under his arm. He called for Mokona, who jumped on his shoulder immediately, before turning to Meine. "I'll be right back."

"Ah! Fai-san!" she called after him.

"What's wrong?" Kurogane asked as he walked towards her.

"Fai-san's acting weird." she told him.

Kurogane just grunted and he crossed his arms. "That mage is always acting weird. He never was normal ever since."

Meine didn't find the need to defend that sentence, mostly because she also found it to be half true. Fai was always surrounded with mystery. If ever you asked him about his past, he would always reply indirectly and he would have this expression that is unlike his smile.

"Why don't we just wait for him outside then?" Kurogane offered.

She looked at the direction Fai had disappeared to and sighed.

Meine followed Sakura, Syaoran, and Kurogane out of the library where they waited for Fai to come out.

He didn't come out until after ten minutes when the blond mage appeared with Mokona on his shoulder.

"Sorry we took so long." he said with his usual smile.

"We've found a piece of information regarding Sakura-chan's feather." Mokona said loudly and jumped on top of Meine's head.

Suddenly, Meine heard a loud growling sound from somewhere. Her companions looked at her with a confused expression and she immediately denied it. "That wasn't me!"

The five of them looked at Mokona then, who was holding its stomach at that time. "Mokona's hungry... It's somewhat painful."

Fai laughed. "Well, it's almost time so it can't be helped. I'm getting a little bit hungry too, so why don't we go to a place where the librarian suggested?"

The five of them were dining al fresco in a cafe where they ordered coffee, and sandwiches for lunch.

Fai raised his glass as a floating teapot passed around to pour some on their cups. "Nee Syaoran-kun, I think I found something that you would be interested in."

"Eh?" Syaoran said. "What do you mean, Fai-san?"

"I think you'll recognize it once I show it to you." He looked over at Mokona and the little white creature took out a roll of paper out of its mouth.

"The library copied it for us." Mokona said as he placed it on the desk to show everyone.

On the paper was a copy of the cover of the book that Meine had opened in the library. Upon closer inspection, it was the same design Sakura's feather has. The rest of them seems to have noticed just with one look. All of a sudden, Meine felt like an idiot.

"But why didn't Mokona go: "Mekkyo?" Syaoran asked.

"All the books in the library were replicas." Fai said.

"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked.

"It was a reproduction of the original book." he continued. "This is the printed version. So, if this is a copy, there ought to be an original from which this was based."

Fai placed the last roll of paper in his hand on the table. After seeing the picture on the paper, Syaoran stood up from his seat, nearly letting the seat fall but it just wobbled.

"That's Princess Sakura's feather!" he exclaimed.

Meine looked at the book and she crossed her arms. On that paper was a picture of a heavy, hardbound book with gold, ornate colors, a sturdy clasp with the same design on the printed version of the book; and its most prominent feature: a glass pane affixed to the front that held Sakura's feather inside it.

"Where is it?"

"It is said to be at the Central Library." Fai said. "We'll have to ride a vehicle to get there."

Meine hesitantly tried to insert her question inside the current conversation. "What is this book with Sakura's feather inside it called anyway?"

"This book is no ordinary book." Fai began. "This book is called: _The Book of Memories_."

"The Book of Memories?" Syaoran asked.

"That's what it's called. People who touch this book will get their memories absorbed into it. Once it is opened again, that person who opened it will be able to see these memories."

Meine froze. When she first opened the book, she found it blank so she decided to return it to the shelf. If she had known that the book had that sort of power, she would've never opened it.

Then it donned on her. Someone had opened that book after she had, and he was the one telling the information they needed.

She looked at Fai only to notice that he was looking at her too. In that split second that their eyes met, Meine could tell that she was right. Her nails dug into her palms painfully, but she couldn't care any less.

"Where is this library that has the feather?" Kurogane asked.

Fai rested his chin on his hands. "It's in the largest library of this country…Though it seems it will be a little difficult."

"Why is it difficult?" Syaoran asked. "How many days will the travel take?"

"It's nothing like that." Mokona replied.

"Then why is it so difficult?" Sakura asked.

"There are only very valuable books in that library. Someone would like to steal them. So to stop hateful people from doing detestable things, there are powerful watchdogs guarding the front doors."

After eating, the five of them decided to walk slowly towards the direction of the transportation vehicle station that they have to ride to get to the library. Meine held Mokona in her arms who have drifted to sleep just before they left the cafe.

As they were walking, Meine was walking at the back of the group. She kept on staring at Fai's back as her mind raced. Her hand unconsciously reached out for his coat that made him stop.

"What's wrong Meine-chan?"

"I need to speak to you for a moment." she said, trying to make her voice firm.

"Sure." he said with a smile. He turned to the rest of their group. "Meine-chan and I will be back in a moment okay?"

Syaoran, even though he didn't know what was going on nodded. "We'll wait for you in front of the station then."

The two of them then started to walk back to the direction they had come from. Fai was easily keeping up with Meine's pace as she briskly walked to an alley.

"So what did you want to talk about." he asked and he leaned against the wall across from Meine.

She looked directly into his eyes. She threw away her hesitation over her shoulder. "Fai-san... That book, you saw my past didn't you."

Fai didn't reply immediately and just kept on smiling. Meine was starting to get annoyed as she continued to stare at his face. "Fai-san!"

"I did." he replied, his smile slowly disappearing.

Meine took a deep breath and she held Mokona in her arms. "I know that using a spell to erase your memories like what I did with Kurogane-san wouldn't work on you. I have a favor I'd like to ask of you."

"What is it?" he asked, his smile returning.

"Please don't tell Sakura and Syaoran-kun." she whispered. "I know Kurogane-san, and you as well, have figured out that I wasn't a regular princess... I'm sure Mokona knew that I'm a vampire..."

"I don't plan on telling them, but don't you think that sooner or later, you'd have to tell them?"

"I know that... But I've heard about those legends that vampires are evil creatures... But they're not!"

"Meine-chan, don't worry." he said. "I won't tell a soul.

Just as Meine was about to thank him, Mokona's eyes opened just like when a feather is around. It floated off of Meine's arms. The two of them watched as the magic circle started to appear under Mokona's body and its mouth opens wide to suck the two of them in.

Fai took Meine into his arms protectively as the two of them get sucked in. As the two of them were just about to enter Mokona's mouth, Meine caught a glimpse of their other three companions getting sucked in as well.

_"What is going on!"_ was her last thought before they disappeared.

_-chapter owari-__

* * *

_

**heyzelle:** i know i said that the chapter would be divided into different parts, but... no. this was short to my standard. sorry it took time for us to finally update, but the two of us were really busy with school and all that homework that they expect us to do. anyway, thank you for reading the eighth installment. please **review. **leave comments, thoughts, suggestions, etc.

the links to Meine's clothes will be the same as usual. type the link to your address bar: triple w (dot) fanchaos (dot) com (slash) fanplusfriend (slash) c1 (slash) TP00077 (underscore) 12 (dot) jpg

thanks! :D


	8. VIII: Rosette

**heyzelle:** okay, so it took me a month to actually write this chapter. hehehe. sorry about that.

enjoy!

* * *

**VIII. Rosette**

The group fell down to the ground as Mokona spit them out from mid-air once again. They fell unto soft grass that slightly cushioned their fall. It was lucky that they fell in a round patch of grass surrounded by beautiful rose bushes with sharp-looking thorns that would've hurt them if ever they had fallen on it.

Meine was still inside Fai's arms. She immediately pulled away and she looked to see if the others were still in one piece. Syaoran held Sakura's body to his, just like what Fai was doing to her earlier. Kurogane, on the other hand, was fine and he lay on the ground.

"Syaoran? Sakura? Kurogane-san? Is everyone all right?" Meine asked.

Kurogane slowly sat up with a groan. "What the hell happened?" He glared at Mokona who happened to be standing on Fai's shoulder. Its ears were pointing downwards and it looked very worried.

"Mokona doesn't know..." it replied softly. "Mokona couldn't control it."

"Someone must've forced Mokona to use the power to travel across dimensions while its guard was down," Fai said. "...and that was when it was asleep."

Meine glanced at Fai and their eyes met. He had this look in his eyes that Meine could not decipher. She was worried that he might tell the others about her true nature.

Suddenly, they felt a powerful presence near them and they immediately executed the normal protocol: defend and protect. Sakura and Mokona were immediately placed behind them as they stood in their defense positions.

Fai stepped in front of Meine and he raised his hand to stop the others from attacking. "Who are you?"

A person stepped out from behind one of the pillars from the open corridor a few meters from where they were. He was quite tall with broad shoulders hidden under that white coat with golden lining. He had a long staff in his hand and he was wearing a hood over his head that they couldn't see his face, but for some reason Meine felt like she knew that person.

"Please do not worry, I mean no harm." the person said. He raised his arms and he lowered his hood to reveal grayish-blond hair and taupe-colored eyes. He smiled gently at the group.

Meine stared at his familiar face for a moment and that was when she remembered him. His name was Fierra, the High Priest who had sent Meine on her journey to the Dimensional Witch, Yuuko's shop.

She stepped out from behind Fai and smiled back. "Hello, Fierra-san."

"It's been a long time, Princess Meine." he said with a bow.

"Meine?" Mokona asked. "Do you know this person?"

She smiled and turned to her companions. "Everyone this is Fierra-san, the High Priest who had sent me to Yuuko's shop." Fierra gave a low bow. "But if you're here... Then that must mean that we are in..."

Fierra nodded. "I would like to welcome you back to your home, your Highness. Of course I would like to welcome our honored guests as well... Welcome to Rosette!"

* * *

Meine, Sakura, Fai, Kurogane, and Syaoran followed Fierra down the long hallway. He led the group through the long hallways.

"Fierra-san, how long has it been since I have left this world?" Meine asked.

"It has been three long years, your Highness. Your people have awaited your return."

They continued to walk down the long hallway. Sakura, who stood beside Meine, kept on looking around. She couldn't help but smile at the adorable girl, even Syaoran who was watching her from behind smiled.

"Meine-chan, where are we going?" Sakura asked. her eyes were currently concentrated on this painting of the first king and queen of the country as they passed by it.

"This hallway goes to the main ballroom where the throne is..." she said. Meine was silent and she looked at the High Priest. "Fierra-san, why are we going to the throne room anyway?"

Fierra smiled and he stopped in front of these large double doors that stretched up to the high ceilings. It had the emblem on the door similar to the one that was on Meine's dagger. "As I have said Meine-sama, there is someone waiting for your return for a long time now."

The door opened and a blinding light stopped them from actually seeing the interior of the throne room.

"What the hell is with this dramatic blinding light!" Kurogane complained as he squinted to see what was inside.

The others had brought their arms to cover their faces. Meine tried to squint to see through the light but she still can't see anything.

The door fully opened and the group stepped into this grand ballroom with chandeliers hanging on the high ceiling. There were murals on the ceiling itself and the windows covered almost every part of the wall. There was a red carpet from where they were standing on that stopped in front of this elevated platform where two majestic chairs stood.

Meine froze in the entrance and her eyes were locked on the person who happened to be sitting on the chair on the left. He had dark hair which was quite long and his eyes shined bright green. He smiled gently as the group entered.

All of them gasped, except Meine who just stood there silently in shock. Fai took Meine's hand and squeezed it lightly.

Fierra stepped in front of them and he raised his staff. The sphere glowed pink and five, glowing, egg-shaped floating chairs appeared a few feet in front of Akemi. The High Priest stepped out of the way.

"Please, take a seat." Akemi said with a smile.

Kurogane was the first to move forward and he sat down on the chair which sagged a little due to his weight. Sakura and Syaoran followed. Fai on the other hand let go of Meine's hand after giving her a gentle tug, but she wouldn't budge so he went along with the others.

"Meine, won't you please sit down?" Akemi asked nicely.

She stood there for a moment and continued to stare at his face. She eventually walked towards the chair and sat on it, but her eyes never left him.

"All of you probably already know who I am." he said. "But if you don't remember, I am Akemi von Kreautz, Meine's older brother and the crown prince of Rosette."

Sakura raised her hand slowly and a blush slowly appeared on her cheeks. Akemi smiled and she motioned for Sakura to speak. "There is no need for you to raise your hand, Sakura-san. It's not like we're in class or something."

She looked down in embarrassment for a moment. "Eh? How did you know my name?"

"The High Priest has informed me about the necessary things that I needed to know like names and the world of origin." he explained.

"Um... May I ask a question, Akemi-san?" Syaoran asked. Akemi nodded and waited for him to continue. "Meine-san told us before that you have passed away even before she had left her country, and yet you are here..."

Meine looked away from Akemi and her eyes went to Syaoran. It was like he had read her mind and had asked the question that won't seem to come out of her mouth.

The smile on his features disappeared slightly and his fingers twined together. "I guess I do owe you an explanation, to Meine especially..."

He took a deep breath and leaned against his chair. "The last memory I had was when I was my last conversation with Meine. I felt the life being sucked out of my body during that time. I felt weak and helpless and I could only lay there in Meine's arms. I knew I was dead, but for some reason I felt like I was just sleeping and my body just felt really heavy.

"It was then during my deep sleep that I felt this warm feeling envelop me. It was as if the life was slowly being pumped inside me... That was when I opened my eyes once again and found myself on the bed inside my room. I couldn't understand what or how it happened. I immediately checked my chest and saw that there was not even a scar whatsoever.

"The first person who entered my room was the High Priest, Fierra. He was surprised at first but he had understood. He announced this to everyone in the castle and of course everyone rejoiced. I was nursed back to health since apparently I had been dead for almost a month. The first I noticed was that Meine was missing and no one was bothering to even look for her.

"I asked Fierra-san about what had happened during the month that I was absent from the living. He told me everything of course, about Meine leaving and going to the Dimensional Witch just to fulfill her wish. At first I was infuriated on why they had allowed her to go to such a dangerous journey, but then I was informed about the companions that she travelled with from one world to another."

Meine gripped her skirt tightly that the translucent black fabric may have been permanently damaged, but she didn't care. She can't believe what he was telling them. She didn't want to believe. The moment that sword had pierced through his body and seeing his blood splattered everywhere left a huge mark on Meine and it wasn't something that you could easily forget.

"Liar..." she whispered under her breath.

Akemi heard this and his attention transferred to his sister. Her face was hidden because of the hat she wore.

"Meine..."

"Liar!" she said, a little louder this time. "You're not Akemi... You can't be Akemi. He would never do something like this..."

She suddenly disappeared from beside them. It was like she vanished in mid-air. Kurogane's fast eyes easily followed her though as she moved towards Akemi. Her hat and fallen to the ground, blown away by the pressure.

She charged towards him and aimed at any vital spot to hit just with the use of her hands. For some reason her body moved on its own. She didn't know what she was doing exactly. It was like she was watching an action film like everything was in slow motion but it was moving so fast.

Akemi stood up and he countered Meine's attack. She gasped as she was thrown away only to land a few feet behind where her companions were sitting.

No one other than Akemi and Seishiro had ever able to throw her off that far. But she still wouldn't believe. Her hard headedness was getting the better of her.

She felt a sting in her arm and she looked at it to see that there was a tear on her sleeve and she was wounded. The blood oozed down her arm.

She looked up at Akemi and noticed that he had this shocked expression. Fierra, who stood a few feet away from him on his side, was surprised as well.

"Meine... You're..."

Meine lunged once again and she just aimed for anything. Just to test it once again...

Akemi was quick. He grabbed Meine's arm and he swiftly unbuttoned the first buttons on Meine's blouse. There she was, her legs swinging back and forth as he pulled her shirt to see her chest.

She swung her feet backwards and she broke free of his grip. She held her shirt closed and she tried to hide the fact that she was blushing.

"What are you doing?"

Akemi slowly walked towards her and he slowly wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry..." he whispered. "Your scar (or birthmark)... The source of your regeneration abilities..."

"I... I paid it as a price to the witch."

He hugged her tighter and placed his chin on her head, just like how he always hugged her in the past.

"The reason why you are suffering is all because of me... I'm sorry."

Meine's eyes were overflowing with tears. Her hands moved to wrap her arms around his waist. She cannot deny it anymore. She may not know how it exactly happened, but she didn't care about those now. "Akemi..."

"Oi."

She pulled away and looked at Kurogane who sat on his seat with his arms crossed. "You care to explain what's going on here?"

"Eh?" Meine said.

Kurogane motioned to Syaoran and Sakura who sat there looking confused.

"Meine-chan?" Sakura asked. "What do you mean? Regeneration? What are you talking about?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced at Fai to see that he was looking right at her. He smiled gently and gave a small nod.

She sighed. "I've been putting this off ever since we got to know each other better in Hanshin Republic. I guess it is time that you of all the people that we have met should know..."

"Meine-san, were you hiding something from us?" Syaoran asked.

Meine opened her mouth to speak but Akemi placed a hand over her mouth from behind. "Why don't we speak in a much more private place where we could enjoy some tea and pastries?"

Mokona jumped up and down on Fai's lap. "Yeah! Tea and pastries sounds great."

Akemi let go off Meine and she stopped him from walking away. "Please stay..."

He smiled and he took her hand. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere. I'll never leave you again."

* * *

The group then moved to a room where there were plush, soft couches inside. When they arrived, there were already two butlers with their tea and pastries served in this rack where you could place three trays over another.

Meine sat beside the pastries and beside Akemi. Fai sat across her and he smiled encouragingly.

She took her cup of tea from the butler and she noticed that her hand was shaking and the tea cup was rattling in her hands. She immediately set this on the tea table and she took a deep breath.

She felt Akemi's hand touch hers and she looked up at his face. He gave a small nod and he squeezed her hand gently. "It's going to be all right." he whispered.

Sakura and Syaoran sat on a couch side by side. The two of them were looking at Meine with their big eyes and it somehow is making her uncomfortable. She took several deep breaths.

"I'm sorry for keeping this fact from you, but I have heard stories about the reputation of my kind in other worlds...

"I know that Fai-san and Mokona know about it, and Kurogane-san has theories in his mind, but only Sakura and Syaoran-chan don't know about it."

Meine could feel her heart thumping loudly against her chest. The white creature sat on her lap and held her shaking hand in its soft white paws. She glanced at the two and saw that they were still looking at her with mixed curiosity and anxiousness.

She decided to close her eyes, thinking that it's better to not see their faces as she say it. "I am a vampire. A pureblood as a matter of fact."

She heard Sakura gasp and she opened her eyes slightly to see that they both have this shocked looked in their faces.

He sighed and lightly patted her head. "Please forgive Meine for not telling you. You see, a traveller from another world once told us about a legend of our kind. It said there that we are ruthless killing machines and we drink the blood of our prey."

The room was silent. No one dared to speak, except Mokona who was eating a pastry and commented about it aloud.

"I'm sorry for not telling you." she said and she bowed her head.

Much to Meine's surprised, Sakura smiled and Syaoran sighed in relief. They did not do the reaction that she had expected her to do: scream in shock and probably run away in fear.

"Meine-chan," Sakura said. "Thank you for telling us."

"Looking back, it is kind of weird for a regular princess to be really skilled in martial arts." Syaoran said.

Meine felt like the heavy weight in her heart was removed. "Thank you!"

* * *

"Nee, Fai." Mokona said.

Darkness has fallen on the country of Rosette and the group has been led to their own individual rooms for the night.

Fai D. Fluorite sat on the soft bed in the middle of the room. Mokona was right beside him and the creature just sat there with its ears dropping down. It wasn't its usual happy self.

"What is it, Mokona?" he asked, letting the creature onto his hand before he lay down on the bed.

"Now that Meine is home, is she still going to travel with us to search for Sakura's feathers."

The smile on his face disappeared and he held the creature against his face to console it. He himself didn't want to think about that... Now that she was home and that Akemi had mysteriously come back to life, she would have to stay.

"Fai would be sad to if Meine had to stay." Mokona said.

"Eh?"

"Fai loves Meine, don't you?"

Mokona had hit a spot there. It was true. He did love Meine. When they were together, he forgets his painful past. He smiled. "I wonder if I do."

* * *

Meine sat in front of her dresser as a maid brushed her long hair gently. Tonight, Akemi had invited them to eat dinner in the middle of the rose garden.

She had already picked out her dress for dinner. It was a knee-length dress with a black and white houndstooth pattern. It had puff sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and a ribbon tied under the bust to create an empire waist. It had a bell-shaped skirt that was trimmed with a material that looked like fur.

She sat there as the maid let her hair cascade over one shoulder as she tied a matching black and white, houndstooth-pattern ribbon like a headband.

"Thank you." Meine said as the maid left when she was fully dressed. She checked her reflection on the mirror from her hair down to her black doll shoes. The rose gold chain of the necklace of the Akemi in Piffle had given to her still hung around her neck. The necklace that she had received from her little fling had somehow become attached to her that she can't seem to take it off.

She took one last look at her reflection and she left her room to check on the others. The first one she decided to visit was Sakura. She knocked twice on the door and she pushed it open.

Sakura sat there in front of the dresser similar to the one in Meine's room but it was a little bit smaller. She sat there with a red ribbon tied like a headband, just like Meine has. She wore a pale pink top with puff sleeves and a round collar with small ruffles lining it. She also had a dark red, knee-length pinafore dress which was gathered a bit in the center of the chest. The skirt of the dress was bell-shaped and has two tiers with ribbons on it.

"Sakura looks so cute!" Meine blurted out. The young princess of Clow turned crimson.

For shoes, she wore a pair of ballet flats with ribbons that twined its way up around her legs. The ribbons were intentionally not of the same length, so the one on her right leg reached up just below her knee.

"Meine-chan looks cute as well." she said shyly.

"Thank you." she replied with a smile.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and the maid who had assisted Sakura with changing her clothes opened the door. Syaoran, Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona stood behind the door.

The three men looked handsome in their suits. Syaoran was as always prim and proper with his plain black tux and white tie. Fai wore a blue pinstriped suit with the collar of the white shirt exposed. The suit was only half-way buttoned. He looked like one of those people from the mafia or something like that especially with his blond hair pushed back like that. Kurogane looked as aggressive as usual but he looked quite tame in his black suit with no tie. His collar wasn't folded properly and the first button on his shirt wasn't even closed. But Meine didn't have anything to say. The maids were the ones who dressed them. Maybe it was just the fashion nowadays.

Syaoran's face turned bright pink as his eyes laid on Sakura. He stepped inside the room in front of the others and he stopped in front of her.

"W-what do you think?" Sakura asked her face redder than his.

"Y-you look beautiful, Princess." he stammered.

Fai stood beside Meine as they watched the love blooming in front of them. "Meine-chan looks beautiful as well."

She felt her heart skip a beat and she playfully punched his arm. She tried to hide the fact that she was blushing and is actually flattered by his comment by hiding behind her bangs like she usually does, but Kurogane noticed.

"Flattered?" he asked teasingly as he stood on the opposite side of the girl.

"Shut up." she muttered.

Mokona started to tease them loudly about it being love when a butler entered the room to inform them about dinner. They were led to the open corridor and to the rose garden where Mokona had dropped them when they arrived two days ago.

There was a path that led deeper and deeper into that big rose garden. The roses were fragrant and it varied in color with every bush.

They arrived at a big round patch of grass where on top of it was a dining table for 6. Akemi sat on the chair at the end of the table and waved.

The group was then led to their chairs. Meine sat on Akemi's right side of course, since she was the second highest. Even Mokona had its own seat.

Food was then served and they began eating. Akemi asked Kurogane about his job. He doesn't seem to be bothered at all with his seemingly menacing aura at all. In fact, that made him even more interested in him and he kept asking Kurogane, even challenging him to a match before they move to the next world.

Meine was silent all throughout dinner. She was thinking whether or not she was still going to travel with Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona. She was debating inside her mind about her decision.

She looked up to look at Fai's face and their eyes met. He smiled gently at her, different from his usual smile. Her face felt hot and she looked down at her food. Akemi noticed this and he could not help but feel annoyed, jealous even.

"Meine." Akemi said. She looked up. "There's something want to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a perfect time since your friends are her with us tonight..."

"You're stalling." Meine stated. "What is it that you want to tell me?"

Akemi stood up and he knelt down on the ground beside Meine. She heard Sakura and Mokona gasp in unison at his action. Even she was caught off guard. With every second that passed, her heart rate increased.

He took out a small black box from his pocket. He opened this slowly and presented it to her.

"Meine, you have no idea how long I have wanted to ask this..."

Her heart felt like it was going to break out of her chest. "Akemi..."

"Meine, In front of you and your friends, I would like to ask you... Would you marry me?"

She heard three consecutive gasps: Sakura's, Syaoran's, and Mokona's. She didn't know what to say. Her mind was rushing and she can't seem to think straight.

She looked at Kurogane and saw that he was surprised as well. She looked at Fai and for some reason his hair that was pushed back now covered his face. He had this smile that he always had on his face.

Meine felt like she was stabbed and she felt like she was going to cry. She wanted a reaction other than his deceiving smile, anything at all. But she didn't get anything. That hurt her. Even a single shake of his head would have sufficed.

"Akemi..." she said. He smiled gently, waiting for an answer. "...I'm sorry. This was way too abrupt."

He stood up and held both of her shoulders. "No, Meine! Why?"

"Things have changed ever since I left. I've changed. Please, Akemi... Give me time to think even just for the night. Please?"

"Meine..." he stood there like a child who had his lollipop taken away.

Meine stood up from her seat and she glanced at Fai and he still wasn't looking. She still cannot detect any emotion on his face and his eyes were hiding behind his fringe. She knew that he was exceptionally good at hiding his true emotions with that smile.

She turned and she ran away, leaving the others behind. She headed for the direction of her room, where she can think in peace. Her mind was running faster than she was, and she was quite a fast runner.

She threw open the door leading to her room and slammed it behind her, even sliding the lock so no one can enter unless they use a key.

As soon as she got to take off her shoes and threw the ribbon in her hair on one corner, she lay down on the bed.

The words Akemi had said replayed again and again in her mind. But the image she saw wasn't his face... It was Fai's. That smiled that she had hated at first but then got used to it until she eventually cannot go through a day without seeing him.

She buried her face into her fluffy pillow and she curled up on one side like a cat.

Why had she not answered Akemi immediately? Wasn't this the reason why she had left in the first place: to marry Akemi and produce an offspring? These were the questions that she was asking herself.

But for some reason, she didn't want to marry Akemi anymore. Something really had changed inside her.

"You have a duty to fulfill to your country and to your family." the words that were stated by her tutor as a child replaced in her mind.

Those words were true though. She did have a duty as the princess and as the next queen. She didn't have any choice but to say yes.

That night Meine wasn't able to get any sleep. She just lay there, thinking about her possible future...

* * *

Meine opened her eyes and found herself asleep on top of her bed. The sun outside was already high and illuminated the room.

She sat up and her head felt heavy, as expected since she slept so late. She slipped off of her clothes that she had worn to last night's dinner and entered the bathroom.

Before she had drifted off to sleep, she had decided on what her answer would be.

Meine stood there under the hot water that came out of the shower. She felt calm as the water warmed her body and wet her skin. She felt refreshed. She was ready... She was trying to convince herself that she was ready.

Fai's face flashed suddenly in her mind and tears came to her eyes, camouflaged by the shower's spray. She knew that after that she had said her answer, after accepting Akemi's proposal, she would have to stay back and she wouldn't be able to see them again. They would probably come back and visit, but that would take a long time...

She shook her head and she slapped her cheeks twice. "Meine," she said to herself. "You have your duties as the princess! Don't think about it..."

Even though she was telling this to herself, the tears wouldn't stop. She was afraid, of never seeing him again, of her dreams about her and Fai being together. The memories, the experiences, everything would come to a stop. She didn't want that...

She turned off the faucet and she wrapped a towel around her hair before slipping on a bathroom. She was dripping wet when she went back to her bedroom.

She changed into a plain white shirt, short taupe-colored pair of shorts and brown, mid-thigh high boots. She didn't even bother to button her shirt and just left it open until the second button.

She stepped out of her room after drying her hair and tying it up to a high ponytail.

She passed by a pair of guards and they bowed before her. "Where are Akemi and the others?"

"The prince and the guests of the castle are in the dining room eating brunch, your Highness."

Meine walked briskly to the dining area and she opened the door.

Inside of that were Akemi, Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona eating, as the guard had informed her, brunch. Their on Akemi's right side was an empty seat where she was intended to sit.

"Meine, good morning." Akemi said. From what Meine could see, he didn't get any sleep either.

"'Morning." Meine mumbled and she walked to stand beside her brother.

She knew that everyone's eyes were on her, but now was not the time to be embarrassed. She didn't even try to glance at Fai as the words left her lips.

"I'll take that ring now?" she said nonchalantly.

"Eh?" Akemi said, quite surprised.

Meine extended her right hand in front of her. "I'm saying yes, dummy. I'm going to marry you."

Akemi looked really happy. He looked like he was going to jump for joy. But he didn't, he was refined as he usually was.

He took out the same black box from his pocket, took the ring and slipped this into Meine's right ring finger. The ring was a thin silver band with a pea-sized diamond on top.

Meine felt her hand become heavier, probably because of the weight of the rock. But there was another pain in an all together different area. Her chest hurt, a lot.

Akemi pulled his new fiancée into his arms. "Oh Meine, you could not guess the things I am feeling right now! Thank you, my dear."

She just stood there with her head leaning against his chest. She too cannot express her emotions, but she could tell that she was not happy and soon she will come to regret her decision.

Suddenly Fai stood up from his seat, startling almost everyone and nearly tipping over his chair. Meine hesitantly looked at him and saw that his head hung low. His golden hair that had gotten a little bit longer ever since they had met covered his face before he looked up and showed a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Meine-chan!" he said, his voice sounded cheerful without any hint of any other emotion. He even added a little "hyuu~" at the end. He walked towards her and he placed a hand on her shoulder and patted it. "I wish the two of you a long and happy life as a married couple."

With that he left the room. Meine just stood there stunned. her heart clenched repeatedly inside her chest and she felt like falling to her knees and clutching her chest to make it stop. She hid behind her hair once again and tried her best to hide her best to sound the same.

"I'd like to invite everyone to stay here until the wedding is over. That would really mean a lot to me to see all of you attend." she said.

"Of course." Syaoran said. For some reason he wasn't smiling.

Meine smiled slightly and she walked towards the direction of the exit. "If everyone will excuse me, I'm going to return to my bedroom to rest. I didn't get that much rest last night..."

She had already opened the door when Mokona called for her attention. She didn't bother to turn around anymore and she just stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Meine, now that you're getting married, does that mean you won't travel with us anymore?"

She couldn't help but smile after hearing the adorable white creature's concerned voice. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to. I'm sorry..."

Meine closed the door behind her and at that exact same moment the tears that she has been trying to keep from falling had already fallen. She could not find the will to stop these tears.

She ran back to her room and she locked herself inside again. The tears flowed like a waterfall as she fell to her knees by the door. Her heart was more painful than it has ever felt and her back felt tingly with the surge of her emotions.

"Fai..." she whispered as she thought of him, his face, the fun times, and his expression just now. "Fai-san..."

_"I'm sorry."

* * *

_

Preparations were being made by Akemi and the castle while Meine was asked to just relax. The only thing she had left to do now was choose her wedding dress.

The wedding day has been set to be a week after the proposal. It's been three days since the engagement, and Meine hasn't seen Fai since then because she was busy. She has been invited by the people of the city, who are throwing a city-wide party to celebrate.

She walked down an open corridor and she sighed. Even though the things she has been busy these past few days and she felt really tired, it was keeping her preoccupied so that she wouldn't have time to think about any reason to stop the ceremony.

She looked up to see Fai leaning against one of the concrete columns that supported the building. He was looking at the scenery at the distance. From where the two of them were standing they could see the breathtaking sight of the mountain ranges in the horizon.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" he suddenly said.

"How did you know that I was here?" Meine asked.

He turned away from the view to look at her. His lips were smiling, but his eyes said the opposite. He didn't try to hide it from her. "I know your presence well." He looked at her face for a moment.

"I haven't seen you in a while." she said. "Where have you been?"

Fai just shrugged and stood up from his spot. He walked towards Meine and stood beside her, about two feet away. "I'm really happy about your wedding."

"You don't sound like it."

"I don't think I'll ever be happy again." he whispered and he walked away.

Meine just stood there, his words ringing in his ears. She didn't know how to react to it.

She started to walk again towards her destination when she turned to a corner and spotted Kurogane leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Is this the way you wanted things to go?" he said as she passed by him.

Meine stopped. "What are you talking about?"

"You and that idiot mage haven't talked in a while. He's been really down and the meat bun and the children are worried about the two of you."

"Please tell them not to worry..."

"Why are you even going through with this? It's obvious that the one you love is the mage."

"I made this decision because this has been set to do even before when I had any idea what was happening in the world. I am only doing my duty."

"You don't have to do this."

Meine shook her head slowly. "No, I have to."

Kurogane sighed and she walked the few meters towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Answer me this question then: do you still love Akemi?"

"My feelings for him never changed... I still love him, both as a brother and as my husband-to-be."

"What about the mage then?"

Meine was silent. She was about to open her mouth to say something when a maid came running informing her that the person who had brought a choice of wedding gowns has arrived.

"I have to go." she whispered and gently pried away his fingers on her arm. "Please do not worry."

She heard Kurogane sighed as she walked away. After a few minutes he too left.

The two of them were unaware that Akemi was listening close by, hiding his presence well so that the sharp ninja wouldn't notice him.

"I'm sorry, Meine." he whispered.

-_**to be continued-**_

_**

* * *

**_**heyzelle: **for those who have tried to read the first upload of this story, sorry. I had to divide the chap into two parts because for some reason I cannot open the chapter. *grrrr...* _**  
**_


	9. IX: Rosette part 2

**note:** sorry about that. I hade to cut in half the chapters because I can't access the first chap. so here you go. please leave a comment and enjoy.

* * *

**IX: Rosette part 2**

The wedding was only two nights away, and Meine found herself getting more scared and depressed. Scared because she was getting married, and depressed because of what was going to happen after the marriage.

It was late in the evening, and Meine could not find the will to fall asleep. She decided to do something to pass the time.

Now, Meine stood there in front of her full-sized mirror and she wore her wedding gown.

She looked at her reflection again and she sighed. Seeing herself wearing the wedding dress was like someone choking her. It wasn't because it was tight or anything, but the mixed feelings inside her was the one creating a suffocating chain around her neck.

She was just about to reach for the back and pull down the zipper when there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in." she said in a soft voice.

The door creaked softly and Fai entered the room. Meine was surprised. These past few days, he has been avoiding her except for that one instance the other day. He wasn't smiling like usual.

"Good evening, Meine-chan." he whispered in a soft voice, but it still echoed slightly. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." she replied immediately and turned away. She could feel her heart beating loudly against her chest. "Is there something you need?" She took the opportunity to change into something else to hide the blush on her cheeks. She slipped off the dress and returned it to its neat and proper position and she tied a silk, knee-length robe around her waist.

Fai wasn't replying and he stood there watching Meine. She found herself fidgeting slightly under his stare.

"W-what?" Meine stammered and tried to hide behind her hair again. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Meine." he said. The girl that he had called out jumped slightly at her name being called without the usual honorific.

"W-what?" she repeated.

Meine hesitantly moved to stand in front of him. Because of the lack of light, she wasn't able to see his face.

"Don't marry Akemi-san." he said softly.

She blinked a couple of times just to check if she was by any chance heard it wrong. "What?" she said for the third time.

"I'm asking you to please, do not marry Akemi-san."

She felt her heart leap in joy, but she knows she wouldn't be able to do that. She turned away and walked towards the window to look at the beautiful full moon. Her heart was thumping loudly in happiness and she felt a jolt inside her but she didn't exactly know what it was.

"Why are telling me this now?" she whispered and she held her chest. "You know that I can't find any reason to do such a thing!"

"Shall I give you a reason then on why you should?"

Before Meine could even react, Fai had grabbed her by the arm. His hand held the small of her back, holding her close to his body and his other hand was on the back of Meine's head.

It all happened in an instant. He had softly placed his lips on top of Meine's and kissed her soft lips and focused all of his passion in to it. All of his emotions for her were in that one single kiss.

Meine didn't try to resist. In fact, she couldn't quite move at all. She slowly raised her arms and she held Fai's shirt.

The mage pulled his lips away and he hugged her, his chin resting on top of her head. "Don't marry Akemi-san." he repeated.

She just stood there, a little bit shocked.

"I love you, Meine."

The girl froze and she did not dare to move a muscle. Tears started to come out of the corners of her eyes involuntarily. Fai noticed this and he pulled away, holding only both of her shoulders.

She tried her best to stop them but they wouldn't listen. She repeatedly hit Fai on his chest with her arms. "Idiot... Idiot. Why are you only saying this now?"

"I'm sorry." he said with a small smile. He reached out and he wiped away her tears with his fingers.

She was silent for a moment, standing there while gripping the fabric of his shirt. "Me too..." she whispered.

"Huh?"

"I feel the same way." she said. "But I won't say those words now. I told you, it's too late. This marriage has been arranged way before we have met. This is my duty as the remaining princess."

Fai was silent and he just stood there holding both of her shoulders. "Then please just come with us and continue the journey. That way we can still be together and I could protect you."

Meine shook her head and she took both of Fai's hands into his. "Fai-san, I know that you know that our emotions are not meant to be. I belong in this world, yet you chose to leave your own and not stay in one dimension for too long."

"Things have changed ever since I have met you."

She smiled. "I am flattered, but... I'm sorry."

Fai pulled her against her chest and he breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. This time Meine hugged back.

"We may never see each other again after this." Fai whispered to her ear in a sad voice. Meine couldn't see his face, and she was thankful for that. She would cry again if ever she did. "It pains me to see you walk up those stairs and marry your brother. It's too incestuous."

"Incest doesn't work on our kind."

"I know that... But I don't want to lose you, Meine. I love you."

Meine bit her lower lip, she knew she was going to regret what she was about to do, but she could not care less as of the moment.

She pushed away from Fai's arms and she stood on her toes. Her lips touched his briefly and she pulled her face only to realize that her cheeks were flaming. "For now, this is enough for me to say my feelings."

Fai smiled and held Meine's left hand, not wanting to touch her right where the engagement ring or he might accidentally break it.

"Thank you, Meine-chan. Where ever I may go, I will always treasure that kiss."

"Fai-san..."

"I guess this will be the last time that we could hold hands like this... I'll miss you, Meine-chan."

Fai let go of Meine's hand and he walked towards the door. She stood there with her hand against her chest and a sad smile on her face. "Thank you for everything, Fai-san."

He smiled back and left her room.

_"Meine-chan, I will not lose to anyone just to be with you!"

* * *

_

Akemi sat inside the chair inside his room, his eyes were closed and he emitted this odd white glow from his body. His legs were crossed and draped over them was a mink wrap.

His eyes opened and the odd glowing stopped. "Come in."

The door opened and there the blond mage stood. "Good evening, Akemi-san."

"Fai-san, hello. Please have a seat."

Fai closed the door and took Akemi's offer of sitting on the chair across him. He smiled and the crown prince smiled back.

_"Please pull off your wedding with Meine."_ Fai thought.

"I'm sorry." Akemi suddenly said. "I don't think I won't be able to do that."

The mage froze and he looked at the prince in front of him. He was sure that he had not said that out loud. "How...?"

"Only a handful of vampires have the ability to be able to read the minds of others. I am one of them." Akemi explained.

"Does Meine have that ability?" Fai asked. He found himself wondering why he was even speaking even though Akemi could read his mind.

"It's not exactly sure." he said, his fingers joining together. "I am sure a powerful mage such as yourself have noticed the seals inside of her."

Fai nodded.

"My father and I have watched Meine from the moment she was born. We knew that she had extraordinary powers inside of her that she would not be able to control at such a young age. We had placed a seal on her when she was born, so she wouldn't be bothered by it as she grows. But that seal was temporary.

"My mother, a dream seer such as myself, saw that the seal will eventually weaken and break and that stored power would be enough to destroy the whole city.

"My father and I searched for different ways on making powerful seals. We went on journeys to neighboring lands and we found the answer that we needed. It was a long-time seal that was proven to be quite effective. We hurried home of course, but on the way we have received a message.

"Father used some kind of teleportation spell and the two of us stood in front of this door in the castle. I have never seen the door like that in my life. It was thick and heavy and I knew the moment I saw it that magic protected it.

"My father pushed the door open and there we saw Meine being controlled by her own power. It was simply too late when we had arrived. Her hand was already impaled in my mother's chest. Blood came out of mother's mouth and Meine pulled her hand away. Blood sprayed all over her and she didn't seem to care. My mother fell to her knees and she slowly raised her hands to wrap them around Meine. She was losing blood quickly. Even though we have regeneration abilities, it won't work when our heart, the source of our power, was taken out of our body.

"I wasn't able to do anything. My mother was dying and all I could do was stare and watch as I cried. But my father was quicker to act. He pushed inside the barrier and he ordered me to stay outside. Of course I followed, I couldn't move even if I had wanted to. My eyes were fixated on the thing inside Meine's hand. It was moving and blood oozed from it. I felt like I was going to vomit, seeing my mother's heart was something I never dreamed of seeing.

"Then my mother started to speak, her voice was almost merely a whisper. "Meine, do not lose yourself to the demons inside of you. Believe in yourself and your abilities and you will surely overcome it." Meine heard this and she regained control. She looked confused and scared. She didn't know why there was blood on the walls and on her clothes.

"She then looked down at mother who was being held up by my father. She looked at her hands and she looked at the hole in her mother's chest and the blood surrounding it. For that one moment, she looked like she was about to cry.

""Father..." she said. "What's happening? Did I... Did I?" She looked scared and she took a step back. She screamed loudly and she fell to her knees. Meine was crying and she gave off this weird aura that was so powerful that it was frightening.

"I got blown away by the force of the magic and I was able to see Meine in the middle of this vacuum inside the room. I was frightened and concerned at the same time. My mother's death has just sunk in my mind and I finally found the will to stand. I ran to my father's side and he laid my mother's body on the ground behind us.

"I was ordered by my father to calm Meine down even a little so that we could start the sealing process. Even though his wife has been killed by her own daughter, she didn't seem to be affected. I did as I was told, trying my best to talk Meine out of it. But nothing was working.

"We were forced to use magic just to calm her down. She fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious and all, but she was still whispering our mother's name.

"Father and I decided to seal two things inside Meine: half of her powers, and her memory of our mother's death. The spells were complicated, but my father performed them well."

"I see.." Fai said and he crossed her legs. "That explains the powerful seals placed on her."

"That's why I will have to apologize. I cannot do what you have come to ask me to do. You see, I don't want to see her cry anymore. I knew from the moment I have seen her that she had matured in more ways than one. She isn't the slightly childish little sister that I loved and cared for."

"Then why are you doing this? Meine is obviously unhappy!"

"Soon, my friend. You will understand soon enough."

"Akemi-san..." Fai whispered.

The prince stood up and he took Fai's hand and placed it on his chest. Fai didn't quite understand but he knew what he had to do.

He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment.

"No... That can't be!"

* * *

The day of the wedding... Meine sat in front of her dresser and her hair was being fixed by a professional hair dresser. Sakura and Mokona were also inside her room with her, wearing her own dress for the wedding.

"Meine's getting married today." Mokona said.

Meine smiled slightly. She wasn't allowed to move her head since her hair was being pinned up. She already had light make up on, since she hated having too much product on her face.

"Your not happy." the creature continued to say.

The hairdresser eventually left and Meine was able to stand from her chair.

"Thank you for everything." she said and she hugged the two of them. "After this, I won't be able to go with you and look for Sakura's feathers."

"It will be different without you, Meine-san." Sakura said and she hugged back, trying her best not to cry.

Meine changed into her wedding gown, careful not to ruin her hair. She felt her heart thump louder and louder with each minute passing. She actually felt like hyperventilating as the three of them stepped out of the room.

The three of them walked to the throne room, meeting the others on their way there. Meine and Fai didn't speak to each other except for the smile that they gave each other when their eyes met.

Meine took a deep breath as the five of them, and Mokona arrived in front of the throne room. She found it weird that she didn't find anyone on the way there.

"Something doesn't feel right." she said. Even the others have noticed it too. It was way too quiet.

Kurogane and Syaoran pushed the door open and they found the throne room nearly empty. It looked the same as always, except for the flower decorations.

There were guards standing by the windows and Akemi sat on his throne, wearing a white suit and he had the sword that had been passed from generation to generation of the royal family.

"Hello." he said. Meine could tell just from his voice that something was going to happen.

"Akemi! What's the meaning of this?"

The group stepped inside the room and the door suddenly closed and they heard the lock do its job. Guards blocked every path they could take to go outside, all except the hidden passage that Meine knew when she was a kid, which is behind the throne.

Akemi stood up, bringing the sword with him. "The wedding's off."

"What?" Meine handed her bouquet to Sakura and walked towards Akemi.

The two of them met in the middle of the hall. The look on his eyes was different from usual. His eyes looked sharp and determined but Meine couldn't understand why.

"Akemi, what are you doing?"

The crown prince smirked and he pulled the sword out of its sheath.

Syaoran, Kurogane, and Fai tried to run and protect Meine but the guards stopped them.

She didn't try to move away or anything like that as Akemi raised his sword and he did a fast cutting motion that even Meine couldn't see, but she was able to feel it. The skirt below her knee fell down to the floor , exposing her legs and the petticoat shredded to pieces.

"What are you doing?" she repeated calmly.

"I'm calling off the wedding."

"Why? Did something happen?"

He leaned forward towards her. "Fight me. I need you to kill me."

Meine actually slapped his cheek and took a step back. "What the hell is going on with you? Calling of the wedding, now you're telling me to kill you?"

Akemi just smiled and grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm not fooling around, Meine. I want you to kill me."

She took her hand back and turned away from him. "I refuse to do it then."

"You don't understand, Meine. I'm not asking you nicely... I'm ordering you to be the one to put an end to me."

"You're crazy. I'm going to my room then." Meine walked towards the entrance again, pulling on her veil and throwing it to the ground.

Meine wasn't able to even see him move. All she knew is that all of a sudden, she was unable to move since Akemi had his sword held up against her neck at a dangerous angle.

"Meine-chan!" Fai shouted

"I'm serious, Meine. I'm not kidding around. If you won't do it by asking you nicely, I'll just have to fight you till one of us drops dead."

She clicked her tongue loudly. He was dead serious, even his voice showed it. His eyes were sharper than his blade and nothing can go through it. "You're crazy... Why are you even doing this!"

Akemi stood up and pointed his sword at her. "Don't you understand, my adorable sister? This was the way things had to go."

He lunged at Meine, holding the sword with his right hand and the other extended towards her.

She quickly evaded, she can tell that he was going easy on her. Akemi who was really serious wouldn't use any weapons whatsoever. The real weapon of a vampire is their claws.

"Akemi stop this!"

He continued attacking, and Meine kept on evading. He wasn't stopping. Meine had no weapons in hand, and she didn't want to use her own hands.

Akemi stopped. "If you're not going to even attack back and just keep on defending, maybe I should use another method to make you attack me..."

"What are you planning?" Meine growled.

He was gone in an instant. Meine was only able to follow his after-image because of his fast movement. she heard Sakura scream and she knew that Akemi had done something that the normal him wouldn't do.

She looked at the group and saw that Sakura was gone, only to find her at the other side of the hall. Akemi was holding her tightly by the hand and his sword was placed near her neck. Sakura was scared, that was obvious enough to say.

"Princess Sakura!" Syaoran screamed and tried to go through the guards that blocked his way towards her.

He jumped up in the air and knocked out the two guards with one kick. He started to run towards Sakura.

"Stop!" Akemi said. Syaoran came to a halt. "If you take a step closer, this Princess of yours will really die."

"Syaoran-kun..." Sakura whimpered.

"Only Meine would be able to help her now."

Meine sighed. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't want to see you cry because of me." he said.

Meine suddenly wanted to whack him on the head with a stick. Her hand shook in annoyance and anger. "Idiot." she muttered.

Her eyes glowed gold and her nails grew into long talons. She saw that frightened look in Sakura's face and she heard Syaoran gasp in the back, but for now she didn't care. If he really wanted to be killed, so be it.

Akemi smirked and he let go of Sakura, even giving her a light push towards Syaoran. "It's time to get serious then."

"You were never serious to begin with." she said.

He smiled and he brought his sword to his face. "Shall we begin?"

Meine took a deep breath and she flexed both her hands. It's been a while since she has used them, but she was not worried that he might be rusty.

"Yes..."

They waited for Sakura and Syaoran to get to the other end before their real fight began. Akemi smiled, holding his sword in front of his face. None of them were moving.

Even though Meine grew up being taught by Akemi, she does not exactly know his style of fighting. He was what you can call a genius in fighting. He changes his style every so often so no one would be able to read his moves.

She acquired a couple of cuts and bruises just fighting with her brother and he only got a small cut on his cheek, which had regenerate seconds after she had cut him.

"You're going to have to be much more serious than that to kill me!" he said.

"Then stay put if you really want to be killed!"

Meine lunged and she aimed to hit Akemi's throat. She didn't want to really kill him. Probably just a few cuts and bruises or disable him for a moment so that he can hurt him repeatedly without doing any harm since he regenerated fast.

Akemi grabbed her hand and he hugged her. "You know that I'm deliberately giving openings, but you're not doing your best..."

She sighed. "I didn't notice."

"You were trained under me. You wouldn't miss holes that big..."

Meine looked away. She did notice those holes, but she never has the chance to get near them. She was not trying her best.

He leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. "Meine, if you don't take this fight seriously, I'm just going to have to kill _him _instead."

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"I'm serious, Meine. If you don't kill me soon, something might happen to a certain blond magician."

She suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. Her hands were moving on their own. she was blinded by her own fright.

She pushed away from him slightly and used her talons to impale his heart. By the time she knew what she had done, she found herself frozen stiff and her hand was stuck to his chest. Her nails could feel the soft and delicate walls of his heart and Meine felt her own beat faster.

Akemi placed his hands on her shoulder and the other on the arm. He had this content look on his face and his eyes were once again gentle. He smiled at Meine and he pushed her away, his blood spurting out of the wounds on his chest.

Meine caught Akemi in her arms before he can even touch the ground.

He was coughing up blood and the blood continued to stain his clothes. Her hand shook in fright and she laid his head on her lap. "Akemi? Akemi!"

She felt the usual wave of power from inside his body but it felt much greater than usual. Suddenly, two feathers started to emerged from his chest.

"So these were the reason you came back to life..." she whispered. "Akemi you idiot! Why didn't you tell me?"

He gave a shaky laugh and he brought his hand to touch hers. His hold was starting to get weaker and the color of his skin was getting paler. "I'm sorry. Fierra said that killing me was the only way of me to disappear. I wanted to be killed by someone I love, and that was you..."

Meine gripped his jacket with her hand covered in his blood. "You're so mean..." she whispered. "Of all people who could kill you, you have to choose me... Seeing you be killed in front of my eyes once is enough."

"I'm sorry..." he whispered.

His feet started to slowly disappear and Meine started to panic. She didn't know what to do. She looked at her companions who now stood behind her for help.

"It's alright Meine. This is how things were supposed to go..."

"It's not fair..." she wept.

He raised his shaky hand and he wiped away her tears. "I said I didn't want to see you cry anymore, but what I'm doing is causing you more pain."

He looked at Syaoran. "Follow this advice, only give Sakura-san her feather after she recovers from the first one. Having two at a time inside her might not lead to good effects."

Syaoran nodded and he took the two feathers that floated on top of Akemi's chest. He gave this to Sakura, who then collapsed in his arms.

Akemi turned to Meine again. He noticed the glint of the amethyst necklace that she wore. He decided to cast the last of his magic on it.

The necklace emitted this pink light when he had touched it. "Meine, be happy and follow what your heart is telling you. You'll be protected by the spell I placed on the necklace given by my other self in another world."

"Akemi, don't leave me..." she sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Meine. Now, this will really be goodbye. We'll see each other again, perhaps in another world."

His body slowly disappeared and turned into dust. She felt like her heart was breaking in two. He was smiling until the last speck of dust was seen. He was happy.

Fai knelt down beside Meine and he wrapped his arms comfortingly around her. It was then he had heard his last message to him.

_"I leave Meine in your hands. Please take care of her."_ Akemi whispered to Fai.

The blond mage wrapped his arms tighter around her as she leaned her head against his chest. "I will..."

* * *

Fai, Kurogane, Syaoran, and Mokona sat on the comfy chairs in the library. It has been two days since the incident and Sakura hasn't opened her eyes yet since they had given her the second feather from Akemi. Meine on the other hand, hasn't come out of her room and had requested not to be bothered.

Syaoran closed this book that he tried to read but he cannot find the will to concentrate on it. He looked at Fai who was looking out the window in a daze and to Kurogane who just sat there, his arms crossed.

"What are we going to do now?" Syaoran asked.

Mokona, who sat on the low coffee table between them looked sad as well. "Will Meine still be coming with us?"

The two of them sighed. Even Kurogane sighed with them. Fai just sat there, thinking.

Suddenly he stood up, startling Mokona. He didn't say anything but he just left the library.

* * *

Fai stood outside of Meine's room and he knocked twice. He waited for a few moments and he knocked again. No one was answering.

He opened the door and peeked inside to see Meine inside the room. She was in her bed and her hair was a mess. There were strand sticking out everywhere. He liked that look of hers. It was so unlike her.

"Meine-chan." he said and he sat on the bed beside her. "Are you okay?"

She didn't reply. Her eyes were in a daze.

He took her hand and he held it tightly. "Meine, please snap out of it."

"I'm okay, Fai-san. I just need time..." she whispered.

"Meine... Please. I understand that you are depressed, but this has got to end. You haven't eaten in two days."

"You don't understand! I killed him!" she said, tears flowing out of her eyes. "I killed him..."

"Believe me, I understand pretty well." he replied darkly.

"No you don't!"

Fai pulled Meine out from under the covers and he pushed her down. If someone who didn't know the situation saw their position, they would think that Fai had another motive in mind.

He trapped Meine under him by placing on knee between her legs and the other outside it. Both of his hands were on either side of her head.

Meine gasped her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. The look in his eyes looked mad and there was that fire in his eyes.

"Meine, believe me." he said. "I understand."

She was then silent and she brought her arm to cover her eyes. "I killed Akemi..." she muttered.

"You know that is what your older brother has asked for. Please do not put the blame solely on yourself. This is what he wanted."

"I know but-!"

"Meine! Listen to me. Do you remember when Akemi disappeared with a smile on his face? He was happy. He was finally free. And you gave him that freedom that he wanted."

"Akemi..." she continued to mutter. It was like she's forgotten that Fai was even there on top of her and she got caught up in her little crying session for the nth time.

He pulled her arm away and he placed his lips over hers.

Meine's eyes opened in shock as she is forced to come back to reality. She could see the blond locks on his head as it cascaded down to her face. The warmth from his lips enveloped her and she stopped crying.

He pulled away and he wiped away the tear at the corner of her eyes. "I finally got you to stop crying." he said with a sigh.

He helped her up to a sitting position and he held her shoulders. "Meine, even though Akemi is gone it doesn't mean that it's the end of the world."

"Thank you... I'm sorry."

"Where do you plan to go now?"

She was silent and she leaned her head on his chest. "I don't know... He knew that I loved someone else even though I had agreed to marry him."

"Meine, please don't be like this. Don't be all down on yourself... "

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "Please give me a little more time to think."

"I understand."

* * *

Meine brushed her hair. There were no signs whatsoever of her ever crying. She wore new clothes and she decided to part her fringe on the side as a start of a new beginning.

She had made her decision the day before when Fai left her alone to think it more clearly. She realized that she was being an idiot, being all depressed and all. Akemi who is somewhere watching her wouldn't like that.

She went to the garden, where Fai had told her where they will be waiting for an answer.

There they were, sitting on the grass and Kurogane leaning against one of the pillars.

"What are you guys doing?" she said. Everyone turned to her. "Why aren't you guys getting ready yet? When are we planning to move to the next dimension to find Sakura's feathers?"

"Meine-san..." Syaoran said with a smile.

"Is Meine-chan still coming with us?" Sakura asked.

Meine nodded. "Of course I'm coming. I may not be looking for anything now, but I do have other reasons to go." For a moment, her eyes met with Fai and he smiled.

Mokona jumped off of Kurogane's shoulder and it twirled around Meine. "Yay! Meine's coming!"

The group prepared the necessary materials that they needed for their remaining journey. Meine offered that they bring money with them, even though they are not of the same currency; it was always good enough to exchange it for something in a market place in whatever world.

After a few hours of taking what they had needed, particularly money and Meine's small suitcase filled with clothes that she believed that they needed, they stored it inside Mokona's mouth. The group now stood in the same garden where they had fallen when they first came to the dimension.

Fierra, the High Priest of Rosette stood in front of them to bid them goodbye when all of a sudden, Mokona's eyes opened wide and it went "Mekkyo!"

The gem on its forehead glowed and the red light appeared to show Yuuko.

"Hello." she said.

"Yuuko!" Mokona said and bounced up and down. "How have you been?"

Yuuko had this sly smile on her lips and she crossed her arms. "I'm alright. I've been waiting for quite some time for the other three white day presents I haven't received."

Syaoran gave a shaky laugh and Fai and Kurogane both just averted their eyes away from hers.

"I am not here today to ask for my White Day gift, my business today is something else...

"Meine." Yuuko called. Meine stepped forward. "There's someone who wants to see you."

"Eh? Who?" Meine asked.

Yuuko stepped aside and revealed a man. He held liquor in a glass and he had this smile on his face.

Meine gasped and brought her hands to cover her mouth. The man had dark hair and amethyst eyes, similar to Meine's.

"Hello, Meine."

"Father!" she whispered.

"Have you been well?"

She smiled and nodded her head. "I'm okay..."

"I've heard about Akemi."

"Yes..." she whispered.

"Meine," her father said in a more cheerful tone. Meine looked up. "I have something to give you..."

He held out something to the Mokona in their side and they heard the usual swallowing sound of the black counterpart of the Mokona with them.

Mokona opened its mouth and something shot out of it only to land on Meine's palm. It was a red velvet box which held a silver ring with a small diamond jewel on it. It shined brightly under the sun's light.

"What is this?" she asked, taking the ring out of the box and examining it.

Her father smiled. "That ring once belonged to your mother. It was a ring passed down to every princess of Rosette. It holds special attributes that may help you one day in your journey."

"Thank you." Meine said and slipped it into her right middle ring. The engagement ring that Akemi had given to her was safely hidden inside the secret safe in her room. Only she knew the code to it and it can only be opened by someone else during emergencies.

"I miss you, Meine."

"When will I be able to see you again?"

"In due time, my dear. We will meet again in a much happier occasion. By that time, you would've already found what you have been searching for."

"Father…"

Her father looked at the others behind her. He smiled at them and he bowed his head. "Please take care of my daughter. She may be a little stubborn, but please bear with it."

Fai smiled when he noticed that he winked at his direction. Was that message meant for him only? He didn't know, but he would like to think that it was only for him.

"I'll see you soon again, Meine."

And with that, the light from Mokona's red gem faded. She felt a little bit better, but she knew that she will heal in due time.

"Meine-chan." Fai called. "It's time for us to go."

Meine took a deep breath, the last of the atmosphere that she will be getting from this world in a while. She may not have a mission to look for the Eglantine Rose anymore, but she had other objectives that she would like to do.

She stood beside Fai and she shyly took hold of his hand. He jumped at her touch and then he smiled, even squeezing it a little.

"Please take care of everything for me while I'm gone." Meine said to the High Priest who stood in front of them.

"Take care, princess." he said.

Mokona let out its wings and the magic circle appeared from beneath its feet. Fai pulled Meine closer to him and he held her close to his body by holding his waist. "Now, will you say those words to me?" he whispered.

Her face turned red, but she didn't try to push away. She caught sight of Kurogane watching them, but for now she didn't care. She was together with the person she loved, and together they would be travelling to other worlds.

She stood on her toes and she whispered to his ear.

"…I love you"

**_-chapter owari-_**

**_

* * *

_heyzelle:** only now do I realize after scrolling down, because I don't read the stuff I write, that I have used the words "I'm sorry" too much and I italicized almost every last sentence per division. hehehe. anyway, please leave a **review** of what you thought about it. thanks

**_Meine's dress (proposal): _**s6 (dot) thisnext (dot) com (slash) media (slash) largest (underscore) dimension (slash) CFB9E2B2 (dot) jpg

_**Sakura's dress (proposal)**_: media (dot) photobucket (dot) com (slash) image (slash) simple%20lolita (slash) vampire fairyjediknight (dot) Web%2520project (slash) Web%2520project (slash) 2240192011 (underscore) 52999b67f8 (dot) jpg


	10. X: The Return to Rekord Country

**heyzelle:** WE ARE BACK! After a couple of months break and being placed under indefinite hiatus, we are finally back to making this story again. I have to say, I missed thinking about Meine. I've been preoccupied with school and all other whatnot recently. So here.

Please read and review. I'm desperate for feedback on this. I think I'm losing whatever I have here in my brain that I think this came out kind of... ehh.

**

* * *

X. The Return to Rekord Country**

The group had landed in a deserted side street on whichever dimension they have been transported to.

Meine stood up, since she has fallen on her feet, lost her footing and fell to her knees. There was a slight itch in her right ankle but she ignored it. She tried to brush away the hair on her face but then she felt a warm hand against hers that she had failed to notice until then. Her eyes looked at the hand then slowly climbed up the arm, to his broad shoulders, to that wavy blond hair that was starting to get a little bit long, and into those bright sapphire eyes that was looking at her. Fai D. Fluorite smiled at Meine and his other hand reached her face to brush the lock of stray hair. She turned pink and jerked her hand away in embarrassment.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked, looking around.

Meine looked around and saw that they have landed not that far away from the high street. After much pondering, they decided to go and explore a little, staying on guard just in case.

But when they got full view of the road ahead, there was no need to be so tense anymore.

There on the wide, winding road were things that they had seen before. A flying train in the sky, barely visible because of the glare of the sun, a café where the people dining al fresco were being served tea by levitating tea pots and trays of pastries, a horse with wings similar to a butterfly's pulling a carriage behind it, and several girls who were giggling as they passed by on broomsticks high above their head. One of the girls looked down at them, giggled and waved at Fai then sped to follow her friends. Meine had the urge to pull the girl off her broom.

Fai waved back and he noticed Meine a few feet away from him with a slight sneer. He smiled at her. She turned a brighter shade of pink and turned.

"I don't believe it..." Sakura whispered under her breath and she looked around again as if to double check.

"We were able to return to this dimension through a short span of time?" Syaoran exclaimed a little bit louder than intended, but at the same time a nearby horse neighed and he was only heard by his company.

"Mokona," Meine asked, trying to distract herself from thinking of Fai. "Did you do anything to bring us back here?"

The white creature on her shoulder shook it's head, Mokona's ear flapping as it did so. "Mokona just transfers everyone to a dimension other than the one we are currently in. Mokona has no control of which dimension we land in!"

Kurogane grunted and smirked, but did not say anything.

"Then we should get going then." Syaoran said, determination flowing from his words.

"To where, Syaoran-kun?" Fai asked.

"To go and retrieve Princess Sakura's feather from that book. This time, I will make sure that I will get it back this time before we leave."

* * *

The group changed into their old clothes from the previous time they have visited Rekord, all except for Meine, who had had her clothes taken away by the maids and they turned it into a new fashion back in Rosette. So she had no choice but to wear the closest thing that she can find in the clothes that she had packed.

They made their way down the street. Meine and Fai walked side by side, slightly behind Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona. She was looking at everything. Everything EXCEPT Fai. The mere fact that they are walking only a foot apart made her restless and her heart rate increase by a tenfold. It's been a while since she was in a serious relationship and the first relationship with a person outside her immediate family. She was unsure on how to act.

She glanced at Fai's direction, and for a split second their eyes happened to meet. Her heart gave an audible thump and she looked away in embarrassment, failing to see a crevice on the side walk and tripped. Fai had caught her in his arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah..." she said standing up properly and checking her feet. "I'm fine." Meine then realized that she was holding onto his arms and she stepped back once. "I'm fine."

Kurogane noticed this, and apparently so did Mokona. Mokona's smile was wide and mischievous. Kurogane gave a small huff. The creature moved to whisper something at Syaoran's ear then to Sakura's. The other two glanced back at the same time, saw the other two standing there awkwardly looking at opposite directions and hastily looked away.

Kurogane smirked. "Little devil." he whispered to Mokona as the creature jumped to his shoulder.

"Mokona is not a devil!" it whispered back, its mouth barely opening. "Mokona is like Cupid!"

The ninja didn't even bother to ask who or what "Cupid" was and just stood there, unmoving and silent.

"Syaoran-kun." Sakura said her voice a little bit louder than what was normal to be talking to a person beside herself. "How are we going to get inside those flying trains?" This seems to have brought the two out of their little private world and looked at them. "We don't have money."

Syaoran stopped dead on his tracks, making the other follow suit. He looked at Sakura then turned to look at the others. "...Where are we going to find money at such short notice?"

"Why don't we just sell something like we did before?" Mokona said.

"We don't have anything to sell though..." Sakura said, sadly. Her voice was stiff and unnatural.

"I brought some gold from Rosette. Maybe we could use that." Meine suggested.

The grin on Mokona's face widened and Meine felt an uneasy churning in her stomach that warned her that something was going to happen.

"Fai-san, Meine-san." Syaoran said. "Why don't the two of you go ahead to the train station while we go and exchange the only money we have?"

Meine turned to him, her expression aghast. Fai on the other hand was still calm. "We don't know where it is. We've just been following you around."

Syaoran turned a light shade of pink.

"The park." Kurogane said. All eyes turned to him. "I'm sure the mage remembers where the park we had dropped into is. It's not too far away from here."

Mokona nodded vigorously. "Yeah. We'll meet up there. The four of us will go get some money, and probably a map while we're at it, and meet you there in about half an hour."

Even before Meine could disagree to this ridiculous scheme to get them alone, they had already started walking towards the direction they had come from; she saw Mokona wave and jump up and down on Syaoran's head and Sakura giggling.

"Looks like we're alone..." Fai said. Meine jumped and stood beside him, her face red and her body rigid. Fai ignored this. "Shall we go for a stroll then?"

He waited for an answer.

"O-okay..." she whispered.

They continued to walk down the road. Meine stubbornly refused and argued with herself whether or not she should look at him. As she forced herself to look at the road ahead, she didn't notice that she was staggering slightly. Fai noticed this though, since he was watching, and he stopped her.

"Are you sure that you're okay, Meine-chan? You're limping."

Though she felt her cheeks grow hot, she looked at her right foot.

Now that she thought about it, she felt her right ankle throbbing almost painfully. She had sprained it previously during her battle with Akemi, but she had hidden this fact from the others. Since the ankle was still in its healing process, rigorous activities and straining it makes it hurt.

"No, I'm fine." she said, taking a step back with her right foot, which was ultimately a bad idea. She swayed sideways and was once again stopped by Fai from toppling to the ground.

"You're obviously not fine. Could it be that you sprained it when you tripped earlier?"

She shook her head.

Without waiting for any approval from her, he scooped her off her feet. She gasped and gave a soft yelp and fit snugly in his arms. "I'll carry you to the park then."

Her face was bright red now and she tried to push away from him. "Put me down!"

"No." Fai said playfully, but the firmness could not be denied in the way he said it. "You're injured."

At this point, Meine had stopped struggling and settled in his arms, wrapping her own gently around his neck so she won't fall off. "But... I'm heavy."

"On the contrary," he said, smiling at her. "You're as light as a feather."

What Fai had said about the park not being that far away was true. As they turned to the nest corner, the entrance to the park was there. They passed under the wrought iron archway entrance and Meine spotted a bench not that far away, but still hidden from view by the trees.

"Fai-san, you could put me down there." she said, releasing one arm from his neck and pointing at the bench.

"Okay." he said and gently placed her down.

Meine sat there, sighing softly. She could feel Fai's eyes on her and she could feel her heart hammering against her own chest. She decided to look up at the sky instead.

She heard the rustling of fabric and the bench creaked a little, making her look down.

Fai was kneeling in front of her hurting foot and he was unzipping her boots.

She tried to stop him but the mage ignored her. He supported the leg and gingerly removed her boot. He then saw a small lump under her black, knee-high socks. He looked at Meine with one eyebrow raised and pulled it down without even giving her any warning.

He then saw a white bandage wrapped loosely around her ankle. Meine pursed her lips.

"Meine-chan, when did you sprain your ankle?" he asked, slowly turning the foot in its socket. She winced a little and kept silent, avoiding his slightly stern gaze.

"Could it be you sprained it during your battle with Akemi-san?"

He knew then that he was right when he felt the girl flinch. He looked at her face for a moment. Still, she refused to have eye contact.

She felt the bandages around her ankle loosen and she looked to see Fai retying the slightly soiled bandages tighter around the injured ankle securing the bandage by tying it closed, he replaced Meine's socks and her boot.

"So you've been injured for a few days now?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's already healed. But since it's a sprain, the doctors said that it's still a little tender."

"Why haven't you told us?" he paused for a moment and changed his sentence. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Meine looked at him. As her amethyst eyes looked into the smoldering blue ones, she was able to see a spark of emotion in his eyes, different from the ones she was able to see up until that time.

"I..." she said, not turning away. She felt Fai's other hand rest on her shoulder but she didn't look. "I didn't want any of you to worry… Especially you, Fai-san."

Those last words slipped from her lips, she immediately looked down and tried to hide behind her hair that cascaded over one shoulder.

Fai sighed and raised Meine's head by placing a finger under her chin. For some reason, Meine cannot look away from his eyes.

"Meine-chan, that's why I would've wanted you to tell me." Fai said simply. Meine looked at him confusedly. He proceeded to explain and he cupped one cheek. "I would've wanted to share your suffering with me. From now on, I would like you to tell me whatever is hurting you or if you are suffering."

She placed a hand on the wrist of the hand holding her cheek. "I'm not sure if I could do that, Fai-san..."

"Why not?"

"There are things that even I cannot tell others, even if it was to the person I love the most."

"Meine-chan," he said, inching a little bit closer to her. "I thought we..."

She shook her head. "Please don't misunderstand, Fai-san. It's not like I'm ending our relationship, but it's just that I just can't tell you everything. I will tell you eventually, but it might take a long time."

He was about to open his mouth to speak but Meine placed a finger over it to silence him. "I'm sure, Fai-san, that it will be painful to recount your past. But one day, I'm sure we will be able to enjoy a time in our lives where there are no secrets keeping us apart... It's just not yet time."

Fai kept his lips tight shut as he saw snippets of his past rush through his eyes, but he soon forgot it when Meine squeezed his wrist gently.

He took Meine's hand and touched his lips against it. "Spoken like a true princess. I am lucky to have found a woman such as yourself."

She blushed at these words and smiled when Fai placed her hand on his chest and she was able to feel his racing heart.

"Meine-chan, may I kiss you?" he asked after a minute of silence, his hand still on her cheek, and the other pressing her smaller hand against his chest.

Her face, which had cooled down a little, was on fire once again and she blinked several times. "Th-there's really no need to ask..."

He smiled and slightly moved her head to face him. He inclined his head by a few degrees and their lips met. Her lips where soft, just like before. His thumb caressed her cheek and their finger's twined.

Meine felt her heart hammer against her chest and his moist lips. It was different from the kiss they had shared previously. It was much more slowly and gentler. She liked it.

Their lips parted after a minute, but it had seemed much longer than that.

"I love you, Meine." he whispered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The girl in his arm blushed.

Then, Fai heard a rustling noise and his head spun to look at that direction. Meine appeared not to have noticed.

There by the bushes, he saw a pair of long, white, rabbit-like ears, with a lone gold and red earring. It was moving in and out of sight as if the creature who owned it was bouncing. Then two hands, one smaller than the other, appeared and pulled the ears out of sight completely as it was on its highest jump yet. But Fai saw with his quick eyes those two flashes of brown and the sound of a twig breaking. That indicated that someone has been eavesdropping.

He slowly took his arm off Meine and settles with holding hands instead. She seems to be content by it.

Fai glanced again and this time he saw something else that wasn't supposed to be there.

Kurogane was leaning against the nearest tree and wasn't even trying to hide. It was like he blended with his surroundings. Maybe because he was a ninja, or something. Kurogane looked at the two of them, his and Fai's eyes meeting for a moment then he glanced at the previously rustling bushes. Then Fai understood that they have been followed from the start. He couldn't see why he didn't realize it earlier now that what they had done was really obvious.

He gave Kurogane a smile and a small nod. The ninja seemed to have gotten the clue. He disappeared momentarily only to appear by the bushes, not even bothering to crouch down. Fai could see his lips moving quickly and he then saw Syaoran and Sakura's head, probably on all fours crawling to where he was.

"I think the others are to arrive and join us any minute now." he said, wiping Meine's lip with his thumb as if it was a normal thing to do, but he didn't dare mention the fact that her lip gloss was smudged. He didn't wipe his though.

She didn't question his prediction and she just tucked her hair behind her ear.

A few moments the other showed themselves, pretending to have come from the direction of the opposite path from where they had entered in.

"Meine! Fai!" Mokona said, bouncing up and down Syaoran's head.

Meine scrutinized them. Other than Kurogane who was holding a money bag in his hand, Sakura and Syaoran's clothes were a mess. Sakura's skirt was wrinkled and her face was bright red while Syaoran was pink and his knees were particularly off color, not to mention the leaf sticking out his hair.

Meine quietly sighed and she pretended to not have noticed. She approached Syaoran.

"Syaoran-kun, you have a leaf in your hair." she leaned forward and pulled out the said object. She had to raise herself on her toes a little bit, seeing as Syaoran had grown a little.

She held the leaf out in his face before releasing it and letting it be blown away by the breeze. She watched as his face turned a brighter shade of pink and he kept silent. Meine returned to Fai's side, feigning an innocent smile.

The others seemed to not have noticed.

"We got the money, now let's go to the train station!" Mokona cheered. The others agreed.

They started to walk towards the northeast, according to Syaoran's new map. Meine slowed down a little, pulling on Fai's sleeve to make him do the same.

"Fai-san." she whispered so that only he could hear. "Tell me the truth. Were they eavesdropping on us?"

He smiled, tried not to laugh and gave a small, quick nod.

"You knew about this?"

He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "I only realized after our kiss."

"Knew it..." Meine sighed and scratched her head, patting it afterwards to fix her hair.

* * *

The group had successfully bought the necessary tickets to board the flying train to get to Biblio City, the place where the Central Library was. They were able to get seats in the mid-class section of the train where they were able to have their own compartment. It cost a bit expensive than the economy seats but Syaoran and Kurogane agreed that they needed their privacy.

"So, what happens now?" Meine asked as they have finally settled in their seats. She chose to seat nearest the window so she can easily distract herself.

Mokona opened its mouth and out went the bunch of papers that they had kept from their previous trip to Rekord. Fai stretched out the paper and the photocopy of the replica of the book of memories and of course, the original copy.

The map was laid out beside it. Mokona opened its mouth for a second time and a red marker came out only to be caught by Fai.

He circled Biblio City on the map and he slapped his hand to the spot.

"The Central Library is in Biblio City, which is not far from here, as the conductor said." he said. "If I remember correctly, they had said that the library is guarded by vicious beasts and has very high security."

"So looking for it at night would be harder than doing it in the day?" Syaoran asked.

Fai nodded. Kurogane grunted, a small smile indicating that he was getting excited.

"We still have one problem though..." Meine said. All eyes moved to rest on her. "What if they won't show us the book? From what's obvious, that book is very powerful, and as you had said,"-she motioned to Fai beside her with a jerk of her head-"security is high."

They were silent for a minute and Syaoran let out a small sigh.

"We have no choice then." he said. There was blaze of determination in his eyes. "We're going to have to steal it."

When the sun was at its highest, they arrived at their destination. Meine walked a few meters behind them, dawdling for a moment as she looked down at the ring on her finger. For a moment, it was as if heat was sent from the ring to her body. It all happened in an instant but quickly disappeared.

"Meine-san?" Syaoran's voice called. "Hurry or the train will leave."

Meine snapped out of her reverie and hastily followed after them. She paused at the door and she saw the large gap between the platform and the train. Taking two steps back, she jumped to the platform. Her injured leg slipped and she started to fall. Fai caught her in his arms just in time.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kurogane asked.

Before Fai could even answer, the other three were standing by the door leading outside the station.

"It's so big…" Sakura whispered under her breath. Meine nodded in agreement.

"That's it." Syaoran said. "That's the Central Library."

In the distance, all they could see were the entire library's dome-like structure with intricate designs and a long staircase that led to the great double doors.

"Whoa." was the only thing Meine could say. It was the largest building that she has ever seen. It could probably even fit the castle back in Rosette inside it. To think the things inside it were just books...

They started to climb the long concrete stairs, Fai standing behind Meine a few steps below just in case she lost her footing.

"I can feel it." Mokona said. Meine silently agreed. She could feel its presence as if it was ringing in her ears. "Even though it's weak, I can feel Sakura's feather."

They were halfway up it when a powerful gust of wind almost blew Meine and Sakura off their feet. Mokona went flying off the top of Syaoran's hat and Kurogane caught him just in time in his hand.

Meine held her hair down with one hand and looked up to see two, identical beasts with large wings on their backs, a sharp set of teeth, and manes made of flames. The gust of wind came from the flapping of their wings.

The beasts stopped in mid-air, bobbing up and down as its wings kept it afloat. It was staying on opposite sides of the stairs, guarding the library.

."Are those the watchdogs you were talking about?" Kurogane asked, glancing back as they continued to walk on as if nothing happened.

"They seem frightening, don't they?" Fai said.

"I think they might know..." Mokona said, moving to Meine's shoulder.

Syaoran spun around, alarmed.

"... That Kurogane is a bad guy!"

In a flash, Mokona was bouncing up the stairs, giggling and screaming as a very pissed off Kurogane ran after it.

Meine knocked twice on the front doors and at the same time it swung open slowly, the hinges creaking the more it was being opened.

The first thing they saw was something beyond extravagant. Statues of what looked like snakes sitting on pedestals lined the walls of the long, high-ceilinged hallway, by which at the end was the front desk of the library. They couldn't help but look up, marveling at the ceiling and at the floating disk-shaped trays with flapping wings that had books piled on top of them.

Syaoran approached one of the women behind the desk with short hair. She looked up at Syaoran as he stood there in front of her and she nodded.

"Welcome to the Central Library of Rekord Country. How may I help you?" she asked. Her voice was flat and it was as if it didn't have any emotion in saying it.

"Ah yes, I would like to borrow the original copy of the Book of Memories, please." Syaoran replied, smiling.

"I'm afraid that cannot happen."

It was like someone had popped the balloon that was hanging over their heads.

"We cannot borrow that book?" Syaoran asked, his eyebrows furrowing and his smile disappeared.

"The original Book of Memories has been designated as Rekord Country's national treasure, so you cannot take it out of the library."

"That is a problem." Fai whispered, leaning forward to whisper to Sakura and Meine.

"Then can I take a look at the book?" Syaoran asked the librarian.

Mokona gasped and hurriedly whispered to Sakura's ear. "If Syaoran can take a look, he will be able to get the feather. I can guarantee it!"

"That is also impossible." the woman said plainly. Another librarian approached them and stood behind her. She wore round glasses and her hair was tied to two braided pigtails that rested on her shoulder.

"Why?" Syaoran asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"The Book of Memories contains a vast amount of magic powers." the second librarian said. Her voice was kinder and was pleasing to the ears. "Numerous people in the past have tried to take it away."

The first librarian stood up from her egg-shaped chair. "But soon the "Hunds" (watchdogs) at the entrance, and this Central Library's "Soldats" (security system), caught every single one of them."

"That's why since the year 3004 of the Rekord Chronicle, inspection of the original Book of Memories is no longer allowed." the second continued, smiling warmly at them. "But there is a copy you can look at."

Syaoran bowed his head, the visor of his newsboy cap covering his eyes. "Thank you."

With that, they followed Syaoran to the opening that had the sign "indoor park" and they entered a part of the huge library with a glass ceiling, letting the sun's rays enter through it. There were trees and benches and a large fountain in the middle of it. It was somewhat empty, disregarding the few people reading their books silently in their own spots.

They settled by the fountain.

"They wouldn't even let us look..." Sakura said sadly.

"That can be a problem." Fai said, leaning against a railing that separated the trees from the smooth concrete path.

"What do you plan to do?" Meine asked. She saw Sakura with worried eyes looking at him.

"I will get it back no matter what." he said. His voice was sharp and they could only guess that his eyes looked the same. "We'll steal it."

* * *

They walked through rooms lined with books in every wall. Visitors, each with their own books sat on floating chairs. Syaoran and Mokona was on the lead, close to them was Meine, following them through closed eyes closed with concentration. She could tell that Kurogane, Fai, and Sakura behind her were having a conversation, but she wasn't paying any attention. Mokona was in the same state as well.

Meine turned right; the same time Mokona's voice ordered the same. It was like the feather was calling her, or she was being pulled towards it.

They turned left next and stopped. Meine opened her eyes to see herself face to face with a wall.

"The signal from Sakura's feather is stronger here." Mokona said. Its eyes were open and it pointed at the wall.

"There's nothing here." Kurogane said, looking around.

"It's a dead end, Moko-chan." Sakura said.

"But I feel it here." it said. It was staring up at the wall and stood at the visor of Syaoran's cap.

Meine let her fingers touch the wall and felt something run through her fingertips. The wall was not supposed to be there, and she could tell that magic was used to protect what lay beyond.

"Fai-san." Meine called. The

blond man stepped forward and tapped the wall. He moved to slide his fingers against the nearest line of books when he stopped, his hand still outstretched. "Ah!" he said.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, sounding more worried.

"This is a magic barrier." he said.

Meine stood beside him and placed her hand over the same line of books. "You're right." she said with astonishment. She looked up at Fai's face only to see a blank face. He wasn't smiling, or even looking at her.

"Fai-san...?" she called softly. He didn't look at her.

"This shelf needs to be moved." he said plainly.

Meine, slightly confused, went to the end of the shelf and was about to push it when she felt a hand grip her arm.

"I'll do it." Kurogane said. He leaned forward and threw his whole weight against the tall bookshelf. When it was pushed to a 45 degree angle from its original position, Kurogane stopped.

They were now standing in front of a dark, slightly damp tunnel, with stalagmites and stalactites here and there. The wall that was originally there was like being erased from view.

"How...?" Syaoran said. He wasn't able to say the rest.

"The bookshelves in this corridor formed part of a magic shield. When we moved the book shelf, the spell was broken, and what lay behind the barrier is thus revealed."

Meine shot a glance at Fai.

"This is really unbelievable!" Sakura exclaimed.

He just smiled. "This is very easy to understand if you've learned a bit of magical theory. But I'm worried that the watchdogs may be able to sense that it's been tampered with and may pursue us."

"We'll take our chance." Syaoran said. Sakura walked close behind him and then they entered the tunnel.

As Meine stepped into it, it was like being submerged through water, but she didn't get wet. She could not ignore her instincts telling her that something bad was going to happen.

They entered another corridor, but this one was much nicer than the last. It had statues similar to the ones outside. Meine felt very odd though. It was as if the statue's eyes were following them.

"Even though this is supposed to be such a precious treasure, the entrance doesn't seem to have too many guards." Kurogane commented.

"I don't think that's the case..." Fai said, his voice echoing around them.

Meine felt an eerie tingle at the back of her neck and readied herself. An audible crackling noise made them stop.

"They are coming."

The statues came to life and their snake-like bodies started to poise to attack.

"Princess, please step back." Syaoran said to Sakura, throwing one arm in front of her for her protection.

The statues lunged and opened their mouths to reveal sharp, stone teeth. Meine crouched down, ready to attack. But when a statue got too close to her, the same strong grip from earlier whisked her out of the way to stand beside Sakura.

She was able to see from their little circle that Syaoran was having a hard time defeating the monsters just by kicking it. Kurogane, on the other hand was just using any means possible to break of their necks (i.e. Elbowing, punching, etc.).

"Syaoran-kun, that's so cool!" Fai said with a "whistle".

"Shouldn't you be helping out?" Kurogane bellowed at him, his voice echoing loudly.

Meine looked away from their babble and looked up when she had heard another cracking sound. She took a step back and tugged Fai's arm.

The winged statues with long tails at the top of the columns where the snakes rested moved and lunged at them.

With more than ten live, stone statues surrounding them, they found themselves trapped and had no time to fight them all.

There was a split second's pause before they lunged. An opening between two statues appeared and they all started to run away from that little circle of what would've been their doom.

The statues followed them, snapping their jaws at them and trying to aim for their heads.

"It seems like running is faster than engaging the enemy." Fai said, swiftly ducking down and holding his hat to evade a snapping snake statue.

When the statues realized that they were not succeeding, they decided to start attacking the ground where they ran instead. Meine nearly missed evading a bird statue as it swooped down to snap its jaws at her.

It all happened in an instant, one second they were in that stone hallway, and the next they were in a desert. Sand lay beneath their feet, endless sand everywhere. But in front of them, was a big structure. Two identical towers facing each other. But these towers were shaped differently. It was a mysterious sight.

"The ruins from Clow Country?" Syaoran exclaimed.

There was silence.

"Clow Country is where Sakura and Syaoran are from right?" Mokona asked.

Sakura nodded.

"Have we come back to Clow Country?" Syaoran asked.

Mokona shook her head. "Mokona didn't transport us."

Before Meine could ask Mokona if it was sure, Fai spoke.

"This is a memory." he said. "A memory inside the Book of Memories. The book is causing it to appear with the power of Sakura-chan's feather. It's also able to set traps to protect the book using Sakura-chan's memories."

"Fai, that's amazing!" Mokona exclaimed. "You figured it all out!"

"Hmmm..." he said. "It's another type of magic. If you learn a bit of magic, you could do that just like me."

Meine stood at her spot, staring at Fai with wide eyes. Her mind was far away now, far, far from where she was. She was remembering a line she had read in a magic book in her father's private library when she was younger.

_"Magical traps are tricky when encountered. When one faces a trap placed on a certain place, it would take power, greater than the caster to be able to sense it."_

"Hey." Kurogane called from a few meters away. It seemed that she was spacing out and was momentarily left behind. She ran to keep up.

She was walking a few meters in front of Kurogane and Fai when she heard their slightly muffled steps on the sand stop. She slowed to be able to hear their conversation.

"You look like you have something to say, Kuro-rin." Fai said. Without them realizing, the slight breeze that passed helped Meine hear them better.

"That "little bit of magic you picked up", like you said back at that wall, shouldn't you have warned us earlier?" Kurogane's voice said, a little rougher than usual.

"I don't understand, Kuro-pon."

"To be able to sense a trap takes a power greater than the one setting the trap. I don't think you used your magic to figure that out."

Meine froze completely. Her eyes were as wide as saucers with shock. She had been right. If she had thought about the same thing Kurogane had said, there was no way for her to be mistaken.

"You're making way too big a deal about it." Fai said.

Kurogane didn't speak for two seconds. "You're lying..."

There was silence, and Meine could tell that Fai was not moving behind her even though Kurogane had passed her seconds later.

"Oi!" Mokona's voice called from the base of the ruin. "Hurry up!"

Meine looked back over her shoulder to Fai and saw him with a slight smile on his lips. His hand held down his hat over his eyes, making her unable to see them. She could tell he was saying something, since the corners of his mouth moved but she could not here them as the wind had changed its direction.

"Fai-san," she called.

He snapped out of his daze and together they walked towards to where the others were.

"So this really are just like the ruins in Sakura's country?" they heard Mokona ask.

"It looks like it. There were lots of people helping to excavate the ruins... And they were all good people. But there was one, an archaeology teacher who traveled to different countries. He was an extremely kind person."

Sakura was lost in thought as she told her story. She touched the ruin with one hand and felt its stone surface. Meine glanced at Syaoran to see a sad look on his face. He was looking down and his eyes looked absolutely forlorn. But yet he was standing there beside her.

"I went off to play in the ruins, my brother would always scold me." she continued.

"It was probably dangerous because of the excavation." Fai suggested.

"Yeah, that's true... But why did I want to go back?"

Meine could tell Syaoran was hurting just to hear her say this. To think that her past didn't have him inside it. Sakura looked sad as well. She couldn't stand to look at the site any longer.

"I think we should go inside." she said. "I can feel the feather inside."

They walked down the stairs and they walked down a path made of the same material as the one outside. The floor was covered with a thin layer of dust.

As they walked through that long and narrow hallway, they came across something very peculiar. Very peculiar indeed.

It was something like a log, cut in half and attached to four legs. A bench, you can call it. But this thing was huge. It was a head shorter than Sakura's full height. A normal person wouldn't be able to climb up just to sit on it.

"This bench-like thing is huge!" Fai said.

Meine walked towards it and reached for a small object resting on top of the bench. Sitting there on the humongous bench, it looked really tiny, but it fit the palm of Meine's hand just right. "It looks like a clock. It's so small.." she said. "Are the clocks in this country supposed to be this small?"

She turned to Syaoran, and immediately regretted it. His expression was of shock. His mouth was open slightly as he stared at the object in her hand. She struggled for what to say next.

Fai took the clock out of her hand. "Since we're in Sakura-chan's memory, maybe only the things emphasized are the ones that made a strong impression on her."

Meine looked away, ashamed. She was trying not to get affected by the way their (Syaoran and Sakura's) relationship is going, but she had said something pretty heartless.

She looked up and met his eyes. With that one look, she tried to tell him that she was sorry. He seems to have understood and he nodded, giving her a sad smile almost similar to Fai's.

"Let's go, Sakura." Mokona urged them. She agreed. They moved onwards, going down on a set of stairs again.

At last they reached the end of the stairs. It was a large, circular room with a very, very high ceiling. There were weird inscriptions on the circular floor. It was all around the floor. And from what Meine could tell, it looked like a pair of wings with two rings surrounding it.

The ground started to rumble and a bright light appeared from beneath their feet. Fai held Meine's waist.

The circular pattern on the floor started to open right between the middle. Once there was a huge hole on the ground, the rumbling stopped.

They peeked down at the whole.

"It's pitch dark, isn't it?" Meine said, leaning forward a little more. The feather was down there in that abyss.

"Do you remember what's down there, Sakura-chan?" Fai asked. The young princess shook her head.

"But I can feel the power of Sakura's feather coming from that place..." Mokona said.

With a strong movement, Syaoran stepped up to the opening of the hole, half his feet supporting him that one push would make him fall down. "I'm going." he said.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura screamed. "But you don't know what's down there!"

She ran to him and pulled him back that his feet was flat on solid ground. "I'll go!" she said.

"Please let me protect you, Princess." Sakura tried to contradict him but he smiled. "I'll be the one to go."

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you do so much to search for my feathers?"

He kept on smiling and he slowly removed the hand that was gripping his arm. "Please take care of the princess." he said to the others.

Kurogane walked beside him and nodded. "I'll come with you. We'll get the feather back so that the white manjuu could take us to the next world."

They nodded at each other and at the same time jumped into it and disappeared.

"Syaoran-kun! Kurogane-san!" Sakura screamed loudly, her voice reverberating against the walls. Fai held her back.

"I can't do anything..." she whispered.

"Yes you can." Mokona said. "When Syaoran and Kurogane come back, you can be waiting for them right here."

She looked like she was about to cry, but she nodded and stood there patiently.

After a few minutes or so, Meine was already agitated with impatience. She stepped to the opening of the hole.

"Where are you going?" Fai asked.

"I just can't stand standing here without doing anything..." she replied, biting her lower lip. She then caught his eye and she frowned. "You're not going to be able to stop me even if you ask."

His voice was calm and he smiled warmly. "I don't plan on stopping you. Just...be careful."

Meine smiled back. "I will. I'll see you in a bit."

With a last glimpse at Fai, Sakura, and Mokona's faces, she jumped down into the large, dark hole and allowed the darkness to envelop her.

She felt as if she was falling for quite a long time now. The silence was pressing against her ears that it was, ironically, deafening. She didn't even feel her feet touch any surface.

She twisted around, straining to see. Vampires can see quite see in the dark, but she couldn't see anything at all.

Then light appeared from behind her, making her turn around. It was all very fast. Even before she could decipher what she had seen, her instincts had told her to jump away, which she did. There was a bang and large, white feathers that could kill you if it hit were hurtling towards her with immense speed. She had to do a single-handed round off to avoid getting hit.

It was then she had spotted the beast which was far from her with its large wings wide open, the source of those attacking feathers; it's fangs bared, and the ends of his mane standing up. By his feet, safely hovering by its feet was Sakura's feather, clearly visible inside the clear glass covering of the book's binding. Syaoran, who looked so tiny next to it, was skidding across the ground. He was bruised and injured.

Another bang, a flurry of feathers, and thankfully Syaoran got out without getting hurt. Meine noticed that the beast was getting poised for another attack, but Syaoran hadn't.

She crouched down as low as she can go and kicked hard against the ground, zooming towards Syaoran. She whisked Syaoran away from that place just in time when that gigantic paw stomped on the area he was previously standing on.

"Meine-san!" he said in surprise as Meine let go of him. She had felt her ankle throb menacingly, warning her that if she did more she would be disabled again.

"You're welcome." she muttered, scrambling to her feet and tried to catch her breath, assuming that they have landed far away. Her heart was hammering against her chest.

"Oi! Pay attention!"

It all happened so suddenly that the two of them did not expect it. A gigantic paw swiped from their left and hit them both, sending both of them to fly five feet into the air and landed meters away. They landed on the ground with a thud.

"Oi!" she heard Kurogane shout.

Meine wanted to stand up but she was momentarily paralyzed because of the impact and shock. She could tell that she was uninjured but her clothes might have a tear or two. She felt Kurogane's hand on her back and he helped her stand.

She looked at Syaoran and saw him slowly stand up after she had. He was bruised, his clothes were torn and he had a cut on cheek that was oozing blood. He was slightly swaying on his feet. Something was wrong...

Meine felt a cold chill when she was able to see his eyes. They were cold and empty, so unlike the Syaoran she knew.

"Syaoran-kun...?"

Kurogane was thinking of the same thing. His eyebrows furrowed as he moved Meine back away from him.

The Syaoran in front of them forcefully wiped away the blood from his cheek. Meine could not take her eyes off him, afraid that something might happen.

Syaoran jumped high into the air with a bang. He was high, high up into the air, even higher than the beast's head. He then twisted in mid-air and he kicked the beasts face.

He didn't stop there. The beast was roaring in pain that its eyes were closed. Syaoran landed on the ground and repeated the act, this time hitting its jaw. He grabbed its large ear as it swung its head around and aimed for its neck.

Meine could no longer watch. She knew in order to get the feather they would have to defeat the watchdog guarding it. But this... This was just heartless. The beast in front of them was just like an oversized dog, doing its job well. They were the criminals.

She tried to ignore the whams and the bangs that were Syaoran's kicks connecting with the beast. It was howling and roaring.

She opened her eyes finally when she heard a crash. The beast was on its back and Syaoran was there, a few meters from it.

He disappeared, swallowed by the darkness, only to reappear seconds later with the book in his hands. He slammed his fist against it's glass cover and the glass shattered.

Syaoran slowly took out the feather and held it level with his face, throwing the remains of the book to the floor.

Meine took a step closer to be able to see his face. Kurogane followed her. Syaoran looked at them over her shoulder. There can be no other excuse. This was not Syaoran.

"Who... are you?" Meine asked.

The darkness started to dissolve. Meine could now make out stalactites hanging on the cave roof. A few meters from them were Fai, Sakura, and Mokona. It seems that they were originally just in one room.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura shouted and ran towards him.

Syaoran gasped and his aura returned to the Syaoran Meine was accustomed to.

"Princess..." he said.

Sakura wasn't able to say more. Her feather that was in Syaoran's hand was already placed against her heart. She leant back unconsciously and absorbed her memories.

Meine cannot draw her eyes away from Syaoran, and apparently Kurogane was the same.

"Syaoran, you're wounded!" Mokona exclaimed. "You need treatment."

"I'm fine." he said. "Let's hurry on to the next world."

"Meine-chan? Kuro-sama?" Fai whispered. He was looking at the two of them then at Syaoran.

"The library staff is coming! Hurry!" Syaoran said.

Mokona nodded and its long wings appeared on its back. The little creature flew in the air and opened its mouth wide.

Nothing happened.

"Oh no!" Mokona said, panicking. "The magic isn't working!"

"We've stolen the book but we can't escape. They must have used magic to block Mokona's dimension teleportation magic." Fai said.

"What are we going to do now?" Meine asked.

Kurogane strode towards Syaoran and picked Sakura up, placing her over his shoulder. "Let's go." he said. "They obviously know we've taken the book. Let's leave this place quickly and find a place where the white manjuu can use magic."

"Yes." Syaoran said, jumping to his feet.

They run back to the path they had taken earlier only this time, it was empty.

"This path is too empty for comfort." Meine said. They were near the mouth of the tunnel.

Finally, they were able to step into the light and found themselves in the same deserted corridor, where the previous beast's twin awaited them. It's large paws were resting on the bookshelf on their right, showing them its large claws. It was growling, as expected.

"It looks like they've been waiting for us from the beginning." Fai said.

The beast opened its mouth. For a second there, Meine thought it was going to swallow them. But a strong jet of fire was sent in their direction.

Fai grabbed Meine's waist and roughly pulled her on top of one of the shelves

"Syaoran!" she heard Mokona scream.

"I'm fine! But those books..."

Another blast of fire. Meine watched as the flames dispersed over the bookshelf she was standing on. She had expected it half-heartedly to burn down to ashes, but it was perfectly fine.

"Those books aren't affected at all!" Mokona told him.

Fai nodded. "Looks like the watchdogs want to protect the books. Their magic won't bring any damage to the library."

As soon as most of the fire disappeared, They jumped off their safe places and ran towards the direction they had come in. The beast followed them with more jets of fire.

"White manjuu!" Kurogane called. "Give me my sword."

Mokona shook its head. "No good it won't come out!" Its voice sounded as if it was near tears.

"Looks like this type of magic has been blocked too." Fai said. He sounded calm, but his expression said so otherwise.

They continued to run, past deserted floating chairs and more bookshelves. Meine's ankle was starting to hurt. The beast pursued them still.

With a final burst of speed, Meine's leg gave out on her. She crumpled on the floor, her leg throbbing in pain.

"Meine-chan!" Fai called out.

The beast's large paw and its sharp claws shook the ground as it took a step towards Meine. He was meters away, but one swipe of his paw or a breath of fire and Meine will be a goner.

"Meine!"

"Don't come here!" she shouted back. She could not afford to let them get any closer. They were in a well away distance to avoid getting singed.

The watchdog opened its mouth and Meine, from this distance, could see the fire forming in its throat. She braced herself and wondered whether burning to death would be painful.

She was able to hear the sound of the flames as it drew closer. Meine could feel the heat going higher and higher.

She felt an unusual warmth running through her, which was peculiar because the beast hasn't let out its fire yet. She waited a whole minute.

And yet nothing. She didn't feel any flames licking and burning her skin. She opened her eyes.

The necklace that the Akemi of Piffle had given her and on which her older brother Akemi had bestowed the last of his magic was shining. The light was forming a shield around her and the flames were dispersing.

Fai was watching from his place. Kurogane was holding him back before but now he was at the very back of the book. He was trying to hide the fear from his face, but his hand shook horribly. He stuffed this in his pocket so as others won't see.

For a quick second there, Fai's bloodlust skyrocketed. He had wanted to kill Meine. His hand shook more at the thought.

The seal inside her. The seal that held Meine's powers was slowly starting to break, just like Akemi had told him. If he did not act soon, her power would be stronger than his and he... He...

He did not want to think about it.

"Meine-san!" Syaoran yelled. This snapped Fai back to reality.

Meine closed her eyes and an incantation popped into mind.

A loud bang and a yellow bolt of lightning shot from the roof and hit the beast. Electricity visibly passed through it. It roared loudly and glowered at Meine.

"Kid! Hit the leg!" she heard Kurogane's booming voice say.

Syaoran came from out of nowhere and he kicked the beast's giant paw. It was thrown off balance and it finally crumpled to the floor.

He ran hurriedly towards Meine and with one smooth movement, picked Meine up off the floor and he ran towards their companions.

"Thank you." she said to them.

They ran towards the direction of where they had come from.

"The people who took the Book of Memories are trying to escape." said the disembodied voice of the librarian who they had talked to earlier. "Capture them. Do not let them get away."

More pursuers had successfully tailed them and shot what seemed to be stunning spells at them from their staffs or wands. They were flying in these winged objects that were shaped like the bottom of an egg.

They ran still. They could see the large double doors of the library slowly closing to trap them in but they were able to get out in time.

Meine, Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane, Mokona, and a sleeping Sakura were back at those long steps, only this time it wasn't that long road from the train station that face them.

It was an ocean full of water that crashed hard against the building. The waves were meters high and was basically hard to swim in.

"They've flooded the passage!" Mokona screamed.

"Jumping in is our only choice." Kurogane told them.

At that moment their pursuers with wands was now right behind them.

"Not necessarily." Fai said. He took of his hat and threw this to the water. As soon as it had made contact, it melted. Meine gasped. "There's still a lot of magic designed to catch us."

There was a roar and they all looked up to see the beast which Syaoran had fought one-on-one up in the sky. With the watchdog above them, a battalion of guards behind them, and the sea, they had no means of escaping.

"You can put me down here." she told Syaoran and he let go. She stepped onto the concrete floor.

A long, low note came out of nowhere. She looked around and saw Fai, whistling. A real whistle; not like his "hyuu" that he always does. As he whistled, wind materialized from his lips and curled itself around them until it had created a huge dome.

Meine's eyes were wide with shock, and she wasn't the only one.

"Mokona, let's go to the next world." he told the creature calmly.

"But..." Mokona said. "I can't use magic."

"You'll be able to in here."

Mokona spread out its wings and this time, the magic circle successfully came out.

Meine leaned lightly against Syaoran. She was staring deadpan into Fai without even blinking.

The wind surrounded them as Mokona's vacuum-like mouth swallowed them.

As she saw the last bit of Rekord, Meine glimpsed Fai's face before the darkness ate her. His eyes were closed and he wore a sad smile. He had mouthed something to her but at that moment, he disappeared.

**_-chapter end-_**

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**heyzelle: **me again.

again please read and review.


	11. XI: Tokyo

_disclaimer: if it were up to us, Meine would be in the original story. But she's not so we obviously don't own Tsubasa. Much to our utter dismay._

**WE ARE BACK!**

We (mostly I [_**heyzelle**_]) apologize for the lateness of our upload for a new chapter. A lot of things have happened these few months. I have moved to a new country and I had to settle in first and fix my school and stuff before I was able to resume our story. Plus, my laptop failed on me and it won't open anymore so I had to reformat it and GOODBYE DATA! TTATT **Meine-chan09** does her share of the work on time, only I really screw up because of hectic schedule.

We have also changed out pen name. **just for fun.**

to put it simply, things got complicated. Me and my friend formerly known as Meine-chan09 are in two different countries and we are only able to communicate through facebook and such.

Please enjoy the 11th installment of our story. Just an early note, don't kill me. *insert evil laugh here*

I promise to finish the next chapter as soon as I can!**  
**

* * *

**XI. Tokyo Country**

After feeling her feet touch solid ground, Meine immediately turned her head and spotted Fai standing meters behind Kurogane who had a sleeping Sakura in his arms. She thanked Syaoran for carrying her to safety and leaned away.

"Princess..." Syaoran said, his eyes filled with worry.

"It's fine." Kurogane replied. "She's just sleeping."

She approached them, testing her previously hurting ankle and felt nothing. She stood by Sakura and brushed away the dust on her cheek.

"Somehow she stayed asleep while we were running away." Fai said, that familiar goofy smile was back on his face. He appeared behind Syaoran suddenly, making the boy jump.

Their eyes turned to Fai and then there was silence. Even Meine didn't want to break it.

"Fai... Didn't Fai say that he wouldn't use magic anymore?" Mokona said, breaking the silence.

He pursed his lips in thought. "The magic that I used is more or less different from the magic I used up to now."

"But magic is magic." Kurogane grunted.

Just like the usual Fai, he smiled that mysterious smile of his. "Perhaps."

Meine and Kurogane's eyes met. She wasn't quite sure what he meant by that one look. But then he glared at Fai. She looked at him too, and at that split second he looked at her with these eyes that she could not explain. It was like a mixture of pain, worry, sadness, etc. He looked away.

She turned away and then noticed light coming through a fallen part of a wall that was keeping them in the shade.. She could feel the wind blow gently from that direction and decided to explore a little as the others continued to talk to one another.

She climbed onto one stable-looking rock, jumping easily to another rock. As she continued to climb, taking her time, a breeze blew and Meine caught a whiff of something... a scent that she knew oh so well...blood.

She quickened her pace and stood at the edge of the wall.

In front of her was a complete wasteland. Fallen buildings as far as the eye can see. Sand was everywhere and they blinded her slightly.

"Guys, I think that you should check this out..."

xXxXxXxXx

They searched for signs of life everywhere, but all they could see were debris. Meine walked behind the group, Mokona resting easy inside the wide neck of Meine's coat.

"Kurogane's carrying Sakura in his arms!" Mokona teased. Kurogane just scowled and carried Sakura's weight in his arms with ease.

"If he continues to carry her like before, Sakura's blood will rush to her head." Fai said knowingly, swinging his arms widely as he led the group.

"I wonder what happened here anyway." Kurogane said. "It's nothing but fallen buildings."

Meine noticed Syaoran silently walking in front of her, his eyes fixated on this round-shaped rock. He slowed to a stop to examine it.

"Syaoran-kun," Meine asked, stopping beside him. "Is there something wrong?"

He touched the surface of this rock, which upon closer inspection turns out to be a part of a building before, but it has been eroded to that shape. The others stopped and approached them too.

"The corners of these ruins and debris are rounded." he stated.

"What about it?" Kurogane asked indifferently.

"I don't think wind is strong enough to be able to corrode its surface like this. It would take lots and lots of years to be able to do that."

Then, just like that, it started to rain. Meine didn't even notice the clouds above them earlier. She raised her hand in front of her and a droplet fell on the back of her hand. Immediately, she felt a burning sensation and she tried to shake it away, leaving a red burn mark on her skin.

"The rain hurts!" Mokona said, hiding under Meine's clothes.

Meine winced again as rain started to fall. It was painful, and her clothes were smoking, threatening to be burned if she continued to stand there longer. "We have to find a place to hide from this rain."

"There!" Fai said, pointing at the shape of a tall building in the distance. "It looks like that building hasn't collapsed yet."

They start to run for the direction of that building. It was far away, and Meine could already feel the rain burning through the sleeves of her coat. Her skin that happened to be exposed was already bright red.

"Hurry!" Syaoran said.

As they approached the said building, it was revealed to have two towers. But something else bothered Meine. The more they got closer, the smell of blood was getting stronger.

They arrived safely under the protection of the building just in time to watch the nearest of those rounded debris to melt and be deteriorated with each drop of rain. Meine seems to be the first one to have noticed, probably because the stench of blood and rotting bodies was so pungent to her acute sense of smell.

In front of her was countless of dead bodies scattered all around. Some had several arrows stuck within their bodies, others impaled by the steel support of the fallen debris, and there were even severed body parts in some places. Meine closed her eyes, unable to see such a thing.

"Safe!" Mokona said. The creature was now in Syaoran's hand, having not held on tightly onto Meine and was blown by the wind and the pressure as they ran. Fortunately, Syaoran caught it safely like a baseball.

"I don't think so." Kurogane said.

The others turned around, Syaoran gasped.

"Are they real?" Fai whispered.

"Yes... They've all been killed." Kurogane said calmly.

"It's a good thing Sakura-chan is still asleep." Fai whispered, touching the girl's forehead.

Meine walked to the nearest body, a body of a little girl. The dried blood on her pink dress was already turning black, and from what she could tell from the smell, she hasn't been in this place for a long time.

Meine pushed the hair away from her cold face and her empty eyes, which she had the liberty of closing them. She was impaled with an arrow that went through her chest.

"Who could do such a heartless thing...?" she said, her voice shaking slightly. She turned to see that she was alone with Kurogane and Fai, and of course a sleeping Sakura. "Where's Syaoran-kun and Mokona?"

Kurogane was the one who replied. "Went to search for signs of the feather."

Meine sighed, holding her arm and turning her back from the little girl. Then she noticed Fai, who was leaning against the standing concrete pillar looking at the rain.

"Fai-san?" Meine said as she approached him. He didn't respond. She placed a hand on his arm and he jumped slightly, looking at her with eyes that she could not decipher. He turned away almost immediately.

"What, what?" Mokona's panicked voice echoed through the walls.

"Mokona!" Meine gasped and took a step forward when a strong hand stopped her. She expected to see Fai, but it was Kurogane who was holding her back.

"You stay here." he ordered, not taking his eyes from the direction Mokona's voice sounded the loudest. Meine felt like a child as he said it in a stern voice. He handed Sakura to Fai and motioned them behind a slab of concrete wall where they could easily hide without being seen. "Whatever you do, don't leave that place!"

With that, He disappeared.

Meine scoffed. "What the hell? Treating me like a little kid..." she glanced at Fai who was looking the other way. Maybe she was just getting paranoid, but it was like he was giving her the cold shoulder.

She tried not to think about that matter and thought about the current situation. It wasn't like her to sit on one corner and wait for the results. Something was to happen, something that was making knots in her stomach.

"Hey!" Fai called, but Meine was already gone. She followed the path to which Kurogane had disappeared into, making sure to be hidden from the sight of any presence.

The deeper she got inside the building, the less dead bodies she saw. Maybe they were some kind of warning to those who dare to enter this place.

"For you to be here, you must have some kind of death wish." said a man's voice that Meine had heard before. It was so familiar that it sent shivers down her spine. She knew this voice...but she doesn't remember WHO owns it.

She hurried her pace, hiding behind more debris. Her heart was beating faster than ever from the smell of blood.

After a few more steps, she was able to see Syaoran leaning against a rock. He was bleeding from the arrow that went through his thigh.

Meine bit her lip and looked up to the direction Syaoran was looking at and she saw 7 people, all wearing red, hooded wraps and holding loaded crossbows. It seems that she had arrived before Kurogane, seeing as he wasn't there yet.

Her eyes was fixed on the hooded figure in the middle, tall and unmoving. It seems that they were talking amongst themselves, some praising Syaoran, others calling him a thief.

"Enough." said a deep voice of a man. "What will we do…"—the man in the middle started to lower his hood, revealing wavy black hair and piercing blue eyes—"Kamui."

Meine unconsciously took a step back and gaped at the man who she had once been so close to. This was the other half of the powerful pureblood vampire twins, Kamui. It made sense to why Meine was drawn to him, because they were the same.

"Kamui..." she whispered. Just as his name escaped her lips his eye twitched and he search for who had called him. She hid behind a rock completely.

He was the same as before, his voice still sounded sharp and cold. He looked at Syaoran, and Meine knew that he was analyzing Syaoran to the core.

"...Are you an _E_?" he asked. Meine froze, a cold sweat running down her back. He raised his crossbow and aimed at his chest. "Kill him."

Meine placed a hand on her mouth and tried to move but found herself unable to. How would Kamui react if he saw her? She had a feeling that she might be the one who gets killed.

Suddenly a rock flew from the west and threw the arrow off its course. She sighed in relief when she saw Kurogane standing there by the rocks, throwing a pebble up and down in his hand.

"Kurogane-san!" Syaoran exclaimed, glad to see his savior.

"Manjuu, my sword!" he said. Immediately, Mokona opened its mouth and a long katana appeared right in his hand. He took a step back, bent his knee and pulled his sword out. "These people actually dared to ambush us without considering the consequences."

The people of the twin towers seemed surprised. "They haven't been scared off?" one asked incredulously.

"That sword is so cool!" the second said.

"Where did they come from?" a third asked.

But Kurogane ignored their comments and looked straight at Kamui. "You're their leader aren't you?"

Kamui didn't reply, but Meine knew better. He was amused. She found her feet and approached nearer, but was still hidden well behind debris.

"This should be fun." the second voice from earlier said.

"He wants to defeat Kamui? That's just not possible." said a new voice.

"No other person can match Kamui except..." said the third from earlier. Suddenly Kamui jumped and disappeared in a flurry of red cloth. "KAMUI!"

With one amazingly fast jump he was lunging at Kurogane. Meine flinched, she knew that move well from the skirmishes that they had when they were younger. Kurogane didn't know it though and only happened to raise his hand on time for Kamui's sharp hand to graze his coat.

Meine was inching away and away from her hiding place. Then she saw it, Kamui's move that he liked to use. He would feign to attack to your side but he'll move the other way to your back and strike. It was simple, but hard to see since he moved so fast that you could only see his after image through untrained eyes.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and moved from her spot to position herself behind Kurogane and raised her arm in defense. The force that hit her was stronger than she expected that she fell to one knee.

"A girl!" some of the ambushers said.

"Meine!" Mokona exclaimed.

"Why you!" Kurogane began. He sounded mad. "Didn't I tell you to..."

She just smiled at him. "Come on Kurogane-san, give this one to me."

She turned her head to face Kamui. From up close, Meine could tell that he had gotten a little thinner, but was still looking healthy. He seemed surprised to see her.

They both jumped away from each other so that they were at least five meters away.

Meine smiled at him, her hair pooling over one shoulder as she leaned her head to one side. "It's been a while, Kamui-san."

He scrutinized almost everything on Meine and his eyes was momentarily fixated on the hilt of her short sword strapped to her belt. It was showing the seal of the von Kreautz royal family.

"Kamui-san, I'm glad to see that you are safe. But it's weird to see you alone..."—she failed to notice Kamui slightly twitch— "Where is Su—"

Kamui lunged and positioned his hand against Meine's chin. "I don't believe that you're the Meine that I know."

"Meine!" Kurogane bellowed, pulling out his sword again but Meine raised her hand to stop him. "No, Kurogane-san. Don't. It's okay; he won't do anything to hurt me."

But she didn't expect Kamui to take her arm and flip her that she was blown to the wall, creating a small crater around her due to the force. She coughed and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Ow…" she groaned as she stood up. Most of the people with Kamui gasped and leaned forward to check if she was really okay. Meine heard a cracking sound from her left shoulder blade. She guessed the adrenaline rush was working because she felt no pain.

"That hurt, Kamui-san." Blood was boiling inside her, which was probably his objective in the first place.

Her eyes shined gold and her pupils were slits. "I guess I'll have to play with you seriously like old times."

Her body moved on its own, but she knew she was weaving up and around Kamui's arms and attacks. She jumped up in the air, pulled his red cloth with her, momentarily blinding him and dropped behind him. With a small laugh, she turned and kicked up, throwing him up where he hit the ceiling creating a crater around him as well.

Meine lowered her arms and smiled, her eyes turning back to purple. She turned and saw Kamui standing back to his feet and she noticed that she had wounded him, but he will heal. His wrap slid off his shoulders.

"Does he not feel any pain?" Kurogane asked aloud.

She raised her head and saw that his irises were now gold. She gulped.

He took a step deliberately slow towards her, she didn't move; they both looked up at the same time even before a high-pitched noise was heard by regular ears.

"What's going on?" Meine asked. Kamui turned away from her and walked towards the direction of the entrance. "Kamui-san?"

"They're here." he said plainly.

"Who is?" Meine asked, completely forgetting about their battle and walked in front of him.

"…The people from the tower."

Kamui walked past Meine. "We will speak later." he said quietly. With that he continued to walk. His companions called for him to not walk alone, but he did not listen. He disappeared behind a large rock. The other six above them started to move out in different directions to follow him to the entrance. Meine decided to follow too.

She arrived effortlessly at the entrance after following a hooded figure of one of the people of this building. There, standing in front of the entrance, wearing knee-length, zip-up hooded coats similar to Kamui's were seven people. Their leader, the one in the middle with the tall and muscular physique and those small, round sunglasses, stood in the middle with one foot on his hovering motorcycle with no wheels. He looked familiar to Meine, but she was sure that she had never seen him before.

"You seem to be in a bad mood, Kamui." the man said in his low voice.

"It's because you showed up." Kamui replied, acid flowing thickly from his words.

The unnamed man smiled. "Then allow me to be frank."

Kamui took a step forward. "We will not hand it over. According to my sources, you still have some beneath your tower."

Meine was starting to get confused. What did they mean by "some"? Did they mean treasures?

"There is." the man said. "But there's no such thing as getting too much is there?"

A loud bang sounded in the distance and the other six members on both sides lowered their hoods and took out their weapons. The ones that belonged to this building stood firmly and held crossbows, while the people who Meine figured out was their enemy, held shotguns and rifles of different lengths each. She saw people in that team who she had met before in other dimensions.

Then Meine felt her chest contract painfully and her vision blurred slightly. All surrounding sounds seem to have been muffled by something. It was like being submerged in water.

"Meine-chan." called a gentle and familiar voice to Meine's ear. It was so close but she could feel that it was from far away. It was like the voice was whispering in her ear. "You and your friends are in peril. You must leave this place immediately."

She knew who that voice belonged to. That formal way of speaking, the gentleness of his voice as he spoke to her; it was Subaru, a pureblood vampire and Kamui's twin.

Meine opened her voice to speak but no words came out. Her vision was getting worse and she could not hear them completely anymore. _"No…" _she thought. _"We can't. I can feel a feather around here somewhere."_

"Then forgive me for my next action, princess. Please understand that I am doing this for your safety."

Meine felt herself slowly leaning to one side. Her eyes were forcefully closing as Subaru forced her to sleep.

xXxXxXxXx

They watched as the people from the tower started to leave after receiving an urgent call that they were also under attack. Kamui was about to turn and leave the others and their new guests, including Meine, alone when he saw that her eyes looked blank and she was slowly tipping to one side.

"Meine!" he exclaimed and caught her before she even touched the ground. He pushed away her bangs and touched her forehead.

"What happened?" the small boy named Kazuki asked. "Is she okay?"

"She's just fainted." Kamui said.

"Kamui, is she a friend of yours?" the tall, young man named Yuuto asked.

"You can say that."

Kamui stood and carried Meine in his arms. He turned to Kurogane and Syaoran. "Your friends who are hiding no longer need to hide. I can tell that the blond man is very much worried for Meine."

Syaoran and Kurogane both looked at each other in surprise and Fai stepped out of his hiding place, holding Sakura in his arms. He did not say a word, but his eyes were staring daggers into Kamui. He felt that familiar pang of jealousy within him, but he ignored it. He knew who this man was for he had seen him before in a memory.

"Satsuki," Kamui said, turning to the only girl in their group. "Can you see to it that you tend to the boy's wound? It bothers me to see all that blood coming out from his leg."

"All right." she replied.

With that, Kamui turned to the stairs that led up the building, leaving the others in his wake.

xXxXxXxXx

Meine found herself floating in a dark space where her dreams usually take place. She stood alone, other than that sparkle meters away from her. It was slowly starting to materialize into the shape of a human being, until Meine could see that she stood in front of a translucent form of Subaru.

"It's nice to see you well and healthy, Meine-chan. You've grown since the last time I've seen you." Subaru greeted.

She smiled back; she has always been more drawn to Subaru since he was kinder, unlike Kamui who was often grouchy. "It's been a long time."

Subaru brought his hands in front of his stomach where his fingers touched, a thing he used to do before when talking to her seriously. "Forgive me for pulling you into an unexpected slumber. I had to do so in order to protect you." Meine nodded. "But I must insist that you leave at once with your companions. The longer you stay here, the more you are in mortal danger."

Meine's eyebrows furrowed. "What's going to happen?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure myself, but please, Meine-chan. I do not want to see the princess that had taken care of Kamui and I get hurt."

She shakes her head. "I can't."

Subaru's head hung low in defeat. "You were never easy to persuade."

"I'm sorry…for everything."

He raised his head and watched her as she avoided his eyes. She was no longer talking about what they were previously talking about. "…Are you talking about what had happened before with Seishiro-san?"

Meine flinched. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't told that bastard where you were hiding before, you wouldn't need to have run away…"

Subaru floated towards Meine and tried to touch her cheek, but can't. "I have never held a grudge on what you did before, and I believe neither does Kamui. That person is cunning and deceitful that he took advantage of Meine-chan's kindness and naivety. It wasn't your fault."

He took a step back and stood on his full height, his green eyes stern. "I want you to promise me something." Meine prompted for him to continue by giving a quick nod. "I want you to promise me that once you are in the face of danger, you will allow me to take you into a place where you will surely not be harmed."

Meine opened her mouth to protest, but immediately bit her lip. She remembered getting Subaru angry once before when she was younger and the twins have only been in Rosette for no longer than a month. She had bothered him so much that Subaru got really mad. She didn't want that.

"I promise." she said firmly.

Meine flinched at the sudden sharp pain she felt on her left shoulder, she placed her hand over it to confirm if it was really the source of the pain and she was right. She groaned a bit when she lightly squeezed it.

"You're hurt." Subaru said.

"Its just a scratch, it will heal soon" Meine lied.

Subaru smiles gently and pats her head, again unable to touch her completely. "I will let you wake up now, but I suggest you keep your eyes closed until you hear the people around you stop talking."

"Eh? What?"

Subaru just smiled and he started to fade as the darkness turned to light. "I'll see you soon, Meine-chan."

xXxXxXxXxXx

Meine opened her eyes slightly, only to close it again from seeing light from above. She could feel a mattress beneath her and a pillow propped under her head. She could hear the breathing of four other people, which even without looking, she knew who was with her in the room.

"Just promise me, please." Fai's voice said in a serious tone. Meine stopped herself from opening her eyes. She suddenly remembered Subaru's advice about not opening her eyes immediately. She breathed in and out slowly and feigned sleep.

"I'll do it." Kurogane's husky voice said. "But only if you answer me this." There was a short pause. "Your whistle… You've been in many situations that you were up against death. Even then you didn't use your magic. You said something before in a dimension we happened to pass by before, that there's a person sleeping underwater and that he has a chance of coming after you when he wakes up. That's the reason why you're running away to different worlds, to throw him off your trail."

Fai clapped softly. "You really have a good memory, Kuro-rin."

"You could be a criminal running away or something else, but nonetheless it's none of my business."

"That's just like you, Kuro-sama."

There was a short pause. "That is what you want, isn't it? You put on that stupid, annoying grin of yours to keep everyone away. That way, no one would be involved with you. But you're worried about the kid's safety, and Meine." –Meine's breathing hitched slightly but she immediately returned it to normal— "I saw the look on your face when that Kamui-person carried her here. Also, in the last country you finally used your magic."

"Didn't I already say that I'm not going to die?" The tone in Fai's voice changed slightly.

"But that's all about you not dying on your own account. Dying for somebody else is another topic. If you hadn't done anything as we were escaping, we would've been captured or even worse: killed. But you decided to use magic on your own. You involved yourself in their lives.

"I…" Fai said after a short period of silence. "I don't want to hurt anyone… I don't want to hurt Meine in the future just because she was involved with me."

Meine involuntarily twitched at the sound of her name. She pretended to shift in her sleep. She heard soft footsteps walk towards her. Fai's warm hand touched her forehead seconds later and he trailed his hand to caress her cheek.

"Please, Kurogane." Fai said. Kurogane was obviously taken aback from Fai's use of his name without those stupid, childish honorifics. Meine was too. "Please keep your promise." He let go of Meine's cheek and her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears. Her head was swimming with what this promise he spoke of was about.

There were footsteps nearby and Meine heard new voices enter their room. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?" asked a man's voice.

Fai's tone changed considerably in a snap. "It's okay. Kuro-sama could talk to you."

More soft footsteps and Meine then inferred that the people around her started moving around. Kurogane's footsteps walked towards what Meine believed to be an exit. The man who had spoken earlier left the room. Fai yelped a moment after that and she could picture the ninja roughly grabbing Fai by his arm.

"I've said this before: it's none of my business." He said with a growl.

"I know." Fai replied. "You don't have to trouble yourself with me…" but he was cut off by Kurogane. "I don't care about your past, and I'm pretty sure that your little girlfriend Meine doesn't care either. So hurry up and think about the present."

After that, Kurogane's footsteps disappeared from the room.

Fai was silent. Meine had no idea what was going on until she heard a soft thud and she felt the bed under her move slightly to the side as someone leaned against it. Fai had obviously fallen to the floor.

He laughed softly, which worried her a little. "Those things are easier said than done."

Meine lost track of time but she could pretty much tell that Fai was silent for a long time. After what seemed like ages, he moved. She thought he was going to leave the room when she felt the bed sink slightly and the springs inside creak.

"Meine." he whispered. "_Why must I be the man to fall under your spell?"_ For some unknown reason it sounded different from the usual way he said it. She knew very well that he was saying her name but it just sounded odd. _"I love you."_ The words rolled off his tongue smoothly and easily. She could only guess that he was speaking in his own language. How he was even able to do that with their tiny translator Mokona around, she didn't know. _"Whatever may happen in the near future, my feelings would not change."_

Meine's heart was hammering against her chest, and she didn't know why. His voice was soft and sad. He held her hand tightly between his and he held this against his chest. _"After this, you may never see me the same way again. I might say some things to you, but know that I am only doing this for both our sakes. I know this will hurt… even if your feelings for me may change, I don't care. Your safety and well-being are much more important than the pain I feel." _She felt the bed shift slightly and the grip on her hand slackened considerably. She could feel his warmth closer now then she felt his familiar lips kiss her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally, her lips. It was a brief kiss, but Meine could feel that he was pouring his emotions into it.

"_I'm sorry."_ He whispered really softly that it was barely heard. Their noses were touching. _"I'm sorry_, _Meine."_ She wondered why she can understand her name but not the other words Fai was saying.

He brought her hand and touched his lips to it. He switched back to a language that Meine could understand, but he only said one thing.

"Goodbye."

It took her a few moments to understand what he said. There was a ringing in her ears she did not understand. She realized this too late and Fai had already left the room.

That one word repeated itself in Fai's voice inside her mind. Her head was spinning with these confusing thoughts that she wanted to close her eyes, lie on her side and curl up like a cat… but no. Meine opened her eyes, not really seeing anything and sat up slowly. She found herself breathing shallow breaths and made an effort to calm herself down. Her mind was racing, not really focusing on one thing.

Little by little she was finally able to notice the other things in the small, square room she was in. Sakura lay down on the bed next to hers and Syaoran was asleep, his head resting on the bed as he sat on the floor. Everything was still a blur for her. She didn't know what was going on. She hugged her knees against her chest and laid her head on them.

Thankfully, so as to distract herself, a small boy carrying a mass of black and scarlet in his arms entered the room a little to noisily, but not as much to wake the other two. Meine raised her head as the boy set the objects in his arms on the foot of her bed. He gave a huge sigh and looked at Meine.

"Ah!" he said, a little too loudly again. Meine shushed him immediately and he lowered his voice. "You're awake." She didn't have the mental energy as of the moment to comment on what was obvious. She looked at the boy blankly.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked, moving towards her and leaning forward to peer at her face. "You probably are. You nearly had a nasty fall back there with those rocks around. Good thing Kamui-san caught you just in time. Why don't I get you water?" Without even waiting for a reply, the boy ran out the room as quickly and as quietly as he can. Meine blinked a few times and let go of her knees, letting them fall to the side of the bed.

The boy returned momentarily, not running this time, holding a glass of water. He held this out in front of her face. "Drink it," he said happily. "You'll feel better."

She took the glass with both hands and brought the glass to her lips, sipping only a little. The cool water ran through her throat soothingly and she drank more until she realized that she had drained the whole glass.

"Better?" the boy asked.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile. Her voice was a little hoarse, as she had expected. She paused. "What's your name?"

"Kazuki." He said with a smile. Meine smiled at the boy. He smiled back. Then he jerked to his feet, seeing as he was leaning on the bed, as if he remembered something important. He took the clothes from the foot of the bed and shoved this to her lap.

"Change into this." he said. "After that, I can briong you to him."

"Him?" Meine asked.

"Kamui-san, of course." Kazuki said. "He's expecting you."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Meine held Kazuki's small hand as the boy led her down the long flights of stairs. She now wore the same clothes as she had seen the people from these people were wearing, the black clothes and the red cape and all.

"Hurry." he said, speeding up a little. Meine's hair billowed behind her as if there was a breeze. "This way."

"Slow down, Kazuki-kun!" she said. She had not fully regained control on her limbs and running fast down steep stairs was not helping her with her motor skills. She nearly tripped over one step and nearly fell over if she hadn't regained balance.

They have finally reached the bottom of the short hallway with a really, really high ceiling. At the end were wooden, elegant double doors. It had the same symbol engraved upon it as the one on her cape. It filled the whole of the wall and stretched out as high as the ceiling. Meine cannot help but stare at it in awe. But there was also this feeling. It was subdued but oddly familiar. She felt an odd tugging in her stomach, telling her that these doors were acting as something like a stopper to stop the power inside from overflowing.

Kazuki let go of her hand and walked towards the doors. With some effort, he opened one of them with not so much as a creak from its huge hinges. A chill ran down her spine as a wave of power was released from the room inside like a strong gust of wind. The power was familiar, but she can't remember where she felt it before. There was also something there… something else. She could feel the subtle wave of Sakura's feather, but its wave was feeble compared to the stronger power inside.

"Kamui-san is waiting inside." he said, leaning against the door. "I think he's by the water."

"Water?" Meine asked.

Kazuki secured the door and ran to Meine only to tug on her arm. She moved slowly past the threshold and only then was she able to smell the indescribable scent of water.

The room was so big that Meine could not see the end of it, probably because it was also dimly lit. There were stairs in front of her that led down and more stairs that led to another pair of doors on the other side. She guessed this is the entrance for the other building since there were two. She looked back her shoulder and Kazuki motioned her forward.

She walked down the long staircase and heard the soft clunk. She turned to see that the boy had left her. She took a deep breath and continued to walk down. She looked down and noticed for the first time a wide landing in the middle of the huge room. She spotted Kamui sitting on the edge closest to the water, his legs hanging over the edge. He had his back turned to her with the red cape creating an artful arc of red cloth around him. She was about to call his attention when she was just a few steps away from the landing when Kamui's voice echoed eerily through the room.

"Come here." He said.

Without another word, Meine walked stiffly to his side and sat down, copying him and letting her own feet dangle on the edge. He didn't say anything more. They sat down there in silence. She glanced at him from time to time, but his gaze never left the water.

When they both decided to speak, they spoke at the same time.

"How are you?" Kamui asked.

"I'm sorry!" Meine had blurted out. She turned a light shade of pink when she realized that they had both spoken at the same time.

Kamui's gaze left the water and looked at Meine, his blue eyes as piercing as ever. "What are you apologizing for?"

Meine bit her lower lip and hesitated. She had always assumed that Kamui was still mad at her from what had happened years ago. She fidgeted with her red coat and avoided his eyes.

"Meine, what are you apologizing for?" he repeated, fixing her with his unwavering stare. Just from that, he already had her squirming in her seat. "Tell me." he ordered.

She took a deep breath and began to speak, throwing all the things holding her back. "I'm sorry for what happened back in Rosette. How I had betrayed you by telling Seishiro-san your location." She noticed through the corner of her line of vision that his hand clenched to a fist at the mentioning of his name. "You and Subaru-san were perfectly safe, and you would've been able to stay for years if I haven't opened my mouth. No one, not even a hunter as experienced and great as he is would be able to find two pureblood vampires in a land where all its inhabitants are vampires. It would be like finding a grain of sand in sea salt." She hung her head low, letting her bangs and her long hair to cover her face. She didn't want to see his face. His hand was still clenched tightly. She closed her eyes bit her tongue to silence herself.

She expected Kamui to maybe push her off the edge in the water, but instead he placed a hand on her head and patted it gently. She looked up.

He was smiling. He was actually smiling. Meine did not expect this at all. In the many days that she had spent together with Kamui and Subaru, she had never seen him smile, ever. She had always associated the vampire twins as Yin and Yang. Subaru being the Yin as he was the kinder, slightly more cheerful, and he just radiated this white aura. Kamui would be Ying, seeing as he rarely smiles, he looked like something was always bothering him, protective of Subaru and cannot be seen alone (except now) and he just looked… mysterious. His mysteriousness was making him unapproachable.

…But now he was smiling, a never before seen twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Meine," he began gently. "Subaru and I never held a grudge against you. We don't blame you. You were young. It's that bastard who should be held responsible. He would stoop so low to actually trick a child. You have nothing to apologize for."

He made her sit up properly and patted her head again like a child. It felt weird to be patted that way but she didn't mind.

They were silent again. Kamui resumed staring at the water below them, a smile still lingering on his lips. Meine followed his gaze and stared at the water. For a moment she saw a weird sparkle that wasn't a reflection of the lights. She observed this a few more minutes when an idea popped in her mind. It sounded weird, but she had a feeling she was right.

"Kamui-san." She said. He grunted, letting her know that he was listening. "Subaru-san…" His head jerked up to look at her. "He's sleeping under this reservoir."

It hadn't come out as a question as she had worded it to be, but it was a statement.

He stared at her, his eyes slightly wider. He didn't say anything for at least a minute. "How?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I could just… feel it."

He propped one knee up and rested his elbow against it, his hand covering his mouth the way he usually did when he thought. He was staring at the water, his eyes glancing from time to time at her.

Meine tried to ignore that. She stared at the water and found herself peacefully alone with her disturbing thoughts. Fai and Kurogane's conversation replayed in her mind as she tried to decipher it. Also, those words that he had whispered to her as she faked sleep. That last word…

She sighed. This seems to have snapped Kamui from his slight trance. "What's wrong?"

She smiles sadly, looking up a little. "It's nothing."

Kamui's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember you to be the type to brood over things. Tell me, what's the problem?" Meine shook her head. He too, sighed. "Fine, then why don't you tell me about your journey? You must have been traveling for a while now."

"How did you know?"

"I can tell." He said with a small smirk.

Meine did not dare question it because she could tell that it would go on for a long time. She told him about the different worlds that they have been through, the people who looked like the people she knew; she left out the part that that person was Akemi's double. She also began describing her companions. From Syaoran who would do anything for Sakura; to the princess of Clow who cared about Syaoran even though she cannot remember their past relationship; to Kurogane who was kinder than he looks; and finally, she got to Fai.

"You like that Fai-person, don't you?" Kamui said. He was watching her as she spoke of him. Her eyes changed whenever she described him. Her lips were upturned slightly to a smile. She nodded shyly. She looked at the water and let her chin rest on her knees.

"I like him… I really do… but…"

"But?" he asked.

"Before I went here," she left out the part that she was pretending to sleep. "He whispered some things to me in a language I don't understand. Also, it's like he was trying hard to avoid me when we got to this world. He was all smiling stupidly again."

"I noticed." Kamui said with a small huff. "Damn, that fake grin was annoying."

Meine didn't even bother to correct him mainly because she thought the same thing the first time they had met. She smiled.

"If you really like him, you should talk to him." He said. She looked at him and her eyebrows furrowed.  
"But what are we going to talk about?"

Kamui shrugged. "Anything, what he meant with those weird words he said, the fact that he's avoiding you, why he smiles a lot, your relationship?" He cited more examples. She breathed the cool air deeply.

"I think you're right." She started to stand but she knelt down beside Kamui and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. He smiled and patted her head gently when she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Kamui-san."

"Go." He said.

She stood and ran back up the stairs she went through earlier. She threw the door open and was about to close the door when Kamui called her.

"We're going hunting later for dinner. You're going to have to come with me."

"Okay."

She closed the door and this time, walking slowly up the stairs. She didn't know what to tell him or ask him. But firstly, how was she going to find him in two towers filled with numerous people. She arrived at a landing and saw a man with light-colored hair. He was tall and handsome; with that charming smile he flashed her, he looked no older than 25.

"Hey, you were that young lady from earlier." He said. He had a deep, kind voice. "It's good to see you up and about. How are you?"

"I'm fine… uhh…" Meine's voice trailed off.

"I'm Kigai Yuto." He held out a hand and Meine shook it. "I heard that your name is Meine?" She nodded. He smiled again. "How can I be of assistance to you, my beautiful young lady?"

She decided to ignore the "beautiful young lady" comment, but she had to admit she was flattered. "I am looking for Fai-san. He's one of my companions. He's blond, blue eyes, stupid grin plastered to his face." She shouldn't have said that last one, but it had already come out.

He laughed. "Of course, I met him earlier when you had fainted. He's in the room in this hall, last room after you turn left at that corner."

"Thank you very much." Meine flashed him her own smile, just to be polite. The man just raised his eyebrows and gave a low, barely-audible whistle. She left and followed Yuto's instructions. In less than two minutes, she stood a few steps away from the room's entrance, separated only by a long piece of cloth that served as a door.

"Fai-san?" she called, she debated on knocking but there was simply no door. Ultimately, she decided to just go in.

Inside was not what she expected. Fai was changing into the black clothes of this country. His old clothes from Rekord lay on a chair... but that's not the important part…

His black pants were only halfway on, revealing his underwear and his topless torso. She immediately felt her face turn scarlet. She turned to face the wall behind her. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay." He said. Meine peeked to see that he had buttoned his pants and he was slipping on the black shirt. "You can look you know, it's not like I have anything to hide on my body."

She refused the temptation to turn around and gawk at him until she heard the rustling of the red cape that he too wore. All thoughts about the questions she had thought of earlier were lost.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I just wanted to see you." She bit her lower lip to stop herself from asking questions. She looked at him and noticed that he wasn't even looking at her. He was busying himself with something else. "Is there something wrong?" His back was turned to her as he put on his belt.

Silence hung over them. She was breathing a little too heavily from the suspense. What was he going to say? But Meine had an idea and she prayed that she was wrong.

"Meine…" he began. She took a deep breath and held it in. "I want to break up."

She froze; she closed her eyes and tried calming breaths. She wasn't going to cry, she was going to handle this like an adult that she is. She opened her eyes after a few minutes or so and looked into his cold blue eyes like they were made of ice. She searched for any sign of the warmth that was once there.

"Why?" she asked. Her voice was calmer than she thought it would be. Her eyes did not waver as she looked into his.

He gave a short, mirthless laugh. He brought his hand to cover his eyes or something. "Let's admit it. We both know that this was just a fling. You are aware of how old I am. You're too young for me."

Meine swallowed the forming lump in her throat. _Absolutely no crying, _she thought.

"I was just playing, to tell the truth. I was bored traveling and looking for feathers. Since I could tell that Syaoran-kun would kill me if I hit on Sakura-chan, I wooed you. It's been fun, really. But lately, I find your clinging to me and your feelings a little annoying. It's tiresome, so I'm ending it."

She breathed in deeply, fighting the tears threatening to come out. "Were you really?" Fai didn't reply. Meine turned his back to him. "You've told me a lot of things… you've seen my past… those kisses." Meine choked on the last word and brought her hand to wipe her mouth. She breathed in more calming breaths. Her nails were digging into her palms and she didn't care.

Suddenly, Meine was spun around. Her mouth just happened to be open in the wrong time. Fai kissed her roughly. His tongue slipped inside her open mouth. Her eyes opened wide with shock. Fai has never kissed her this way before. With his rough movements and the obstruction in her mouth, she actually felt scared. Sure she could easily bite his tongue off, but it was Fai. She gripped on his arm tightly with her nails digging in, the other hand trying to push him away. But she couldn't seem to find her strength. Her legs felt like jelly, her heart was pounding, the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Fai finally pulled away and Meine fell to the floor. Her knees were shaking, her back tingling oddly. She gasped for breath.

"Kisses can mean more than one thing you know." Fai said. With that, he moved towards the door, his red cape billowing behind him. "That will be the last kiss we will ever share."

"What did you mean with what you had said earlier?" she asked. Her breathing was still ragged from the kiss. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her over his shoulder. He wouldn't be able to see her face as she covered her face with her hair. "When I was asleep, you said some things." She repeated a line or two, stammering a little with the words. She glanced at him and saw that he was standing unusually still.

Fai took a step towards the door.

"Wait." Meine said. "At least, just tell me what it meant before you abandon me like this!"

His back was turned to her. He didn't want to break the façade he was trying to hold. He wanted to push her away to save her, but his chest was hurting even more painful than it had had before. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _"I love you, Meine. No matter what."_

"Please speak in a language I understand!" she demanded. Tears were threatening to streak down her cheeks, and she didn't want that to happen.

He took a deep, shaky breath and turned to face her. She moved back a little, surprised probably. Fai knelt on the floor in front of her and reached out his hand. She didn't flinch and looked back into his eyes. His hand moved to wipe the fresh tears forming in her eyes. "I won't be there to wipe your tears anymore." He expected her to tear up more, but she just looked back and nodded. He stood up and turn for the door. "Our relationship is over as we speak."

Meine held back her tears as hard as she can. But she had to speak her mind before he left. Without looking up, she heard herself croak out "Thank you for everything". She heard his footsteps stop but she didn't bother looking up. Fai looked at her over his shoulder with eyes full of worry. It took all his will power to pry his eyes away from the hunched figure of the young woman he loved. With one last look, he dropped the curtain behind him.

She took deep breaths, trying to keep herself from crying. She felt weak; all unwanted and buried memories coming back to the surface. Her mother's instantaneous death, her father's departure, Akemi's death, the fact that she had to see him and kill him with her own hands… Fai's adieu had let all unwanted feelings come out.

She looked down at her hands. Her vision was starting to blur. She felt water in her palms and she knew that she really was crying now. She rubbed her eyes and wiped away the tears, but she can't make it stop. Taking a shaky breath, she spoke aloud to herself even though it felt stupid.

"Everything's fine…" she whispered. Her voice was shaky and hoarse. "You're going to be fine once you cry this out. A clean slate."

She closed her eyes and hugged her knees, her tears falling in buckets, all the while trying to convince herself that everything would be fine. Horrible memories from her past replayed over and over again. She forced Fai's face, his kind voice, and everything that had to do with him away from her thoughts and thought about one thing she was sure that would cheer her up, even in the slightest…

The way Akemi had comforted her when their father had left, he would hug her; let her fall asleep in his arms as he smoothed down her hair. This had always comforted her. But as she tried to remember the memory of his touch, nothing happened. Tears continued to fall.

"Akemi…." She called helplessly, burying her face in her knees.

As she continued to cry, she failed to notice that her ring was giving a faint glow. Its light twinkled faintly as she continued to cry. Her chest hurt, her back tingled oddly, the way it usually did when she cried.

"Oniichan…" she cried. At that exact moment, the curtain door rustled opened and Meine looked up to see Kamui had stepped inside. He looked at her with her eyes full of worry, with her eyes red and swollen, her cheeks streaked with tears. He knelt down in front of her and wiped away her fresh tears with his thumb.

He patted her head. "I might not be your oniichan, but I'd be fine if I were to be his substitute."

She bit her lower lip, touched by his action. She choked back a sob and leaned her head against his chest. He fixed their position so the two of them would be comfortable with her still lying on his chest. "Just let it out." He said. "I'm here."

The way he held her was not the same as Akemi's, but it was better than nothing. She would just have to pretend. The necklace around her neck glowed brightly and Meine felt herself being washed by warmth that she knew was Akemi's touch. It wasn't so hard to imagine the arms wrapped around her to be her late older brother's. Before she knew it, her eyes were closing and she had fallen into a deep sleep.

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cliffy!

haha! Things are getting harder and harder to write as we reach our climax. hehe. i promise to get the next part done asap. just after my exams.

btw, we would like to share something to you. A link! it's not much but it contains Meine's outfits (I'm not sure if it's all of them) and other things too (hehe.) so please check it out!

url: meine x fai (dot) tumblr (dot) com **[no spaces and replace the ones in parentheses with actual dots]**  
password: tamahomefaipeeta ** [don't ask]**

reviews would be much appreciated. Be it flames or good comments or just plain whatever. share this to your friends! If you spot mistakes (i.e. grammatical errors, spelling, punctuation) I'd really appreciate if you told me.

**_as always, heyzelle_**

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**EDIT: **just an additional note guys. sweet strawberry kiss is a joint account of heyzelle and Meine-chan09 (she still goes by that). heyzelle makes the stories while Meine-chan09 makes the plot. The story will be nothing if two are not working together. We just want to add this because heyzelle is always the one with Author notes in the beginning and the end because she`s the one who uploads. Meine-chan09 does the plot and the editing.


	12. XII: Tokyo part 2

**Meine-chan09: **Hey guys! this is like the first time I've ever written an author's note! hahaha :)) anyways, people tend to get confused about the authors of this story, so I would like to make it clear to everyone.** MEINE-CHAN09** is the** PLOT MAKER/EDITOR **while** HEYZELLE **is the** WRITER. **So that means that there are **two people** workin' on this story. Get it? **My **job is to create a plot for the next chapter and edit the fic after my partner is finished with it.** Heyzelle's **job is to write the story and double check our work after I edit it.

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**We hope you enjoy this latest installment of our story! **

**Oh and I would like to make a shout out to all our readers! Thank you so much for reading our fanfic, we hope you continue to support us till the end and please don't kill me if I give this story a one hell of a twist :) (*insert evil laugh here*) LOVE YOU GUYS! :***

***okay, Syaoran's lasin board is not a circle. But you get the idea. None of the people in this world know it's a lasin board anyway.***

_disclaimer: if it were up to us, Meine would be in the original story. But she's not so we obviously don't own Tsubasa. Much to our utter dismay_**  
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XII. Tokyo part 2

Meine opened her eyes the next morning and found herself snuggled on the bed next to Kamui. Sunlight bathed the room with warmth and light. She slowly sat up and winced in pain. Her left shoulder was hurting, she would have to treat it later.

She made her way to the bathroom that she didn't notice to be there last night. She immediately regretted looking at her own reflection. Her eyes were red and swollen that it looked like she had slits for eyes. She washed her face with cold water to relieve the swelling even just for a little bit but when she raised her left arm, she winced again in pain. She slowly took off her shirt to examine the damage.

She gasped when she saw that her left shoulder, the whole of her upper left back was bruised. It was as if she had been whacked with a very hard object. But she did hit that wall pretty hard, so a bruise or two was bound to happen, but this was just ridiculous. She lightly reached with her other hand to touch it and she soon said "Ow." She wouldn't be able to treat this on her own…

She put her shirt back on and made a snap decision to look around and explore the building before Kamui woke up. Slowly, she put on her red waterproof cape and tiptoed out of the room. She had no idea where to go, so she took a chance and chose to go down the stairs as soon as she came across it.

Meine found herself at the ground floor where she was reunited with Kamui. She couldn't believe that it was just yesterday, she and Fai were still…

She shook her head to shake away the thought of her and Fai. She was over grieving. She was about to explore a bit more when she twirled and saw the last person that she had wanted to see.

Fai stood there equally surprised to see her there of all people and of all places. The fact that he had faint circles under his eyes and his originally silky blond hair was messy proved that he didn't get any sleep. Meine swallowed the forming lump in her throat and she looked straight into his eyes. He looked too, his eyes changed from surprise, to worry, to just plain icy. Without saying a word, he left Meine there alone without so much as a nod or a glance back.

She breathed deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She was no longer going to cry. No longer going to cry for Fai who broke her heart.

"Oh, hello." She heard a deep voice say. She quickly wiped the water forming in the corners of her eyes and turned to see a tall muscular man carrying several heavy-looking bags. "Are you feeling better?"

Déjà vu, Meine thought as she looked at the Shiyu Kusanagi of this dimension. She nodded.

"That's good." He said and gave her a dazzling smile. "You can call me Kusanagi. And what should I call you?"

"Meine," She said immediately.

Kusanagi offered to lead Meine to the mess hall for breakfast after he dropped off the bags he carried to the storage room. She agreed and helped him carry one and a half. After they left it in a room in the second floor, they climbed one or two more flights of stairs and Meine found herself in the mess hall. Immediately after crossing the threshold, she spotted Syaoran, Mokona, Kurogane, and Fai in the table at the far right.

"Meine!" the creature exclaimed and jumped up and down. Syaoran looked up too and looked at Meine with a smile. Their smiles almost immediately turned to worried frowns when they saw her face though. She must have looked worse than she thought.

"Meine-san," Syaoran called and motioned for her to go sit with them.

She looked at the other occupants of the table. Kurogane was looking at her again as if he was reading everything that she refused to say out loud. Fai on the other hand was looking down in his soup and stubbornly refused to look at her. She walked towards them, with each step her chest contracted painfully. Meine was just a few feet away when a figure blocked her path. She looked up to look at the face of the person blocking her way and saw fierce, blue eyes.

"Kamui…" Meine whispered.

He placed a hand on her right shoulder and squeezed it slightly. He turned halfway to the direction of her companions. "If you don't mind, I'd like Meine to stay with me during the duration of your stay here." Kamui's eyes were hard and cold as he glared at Fai, who in turn glared back with his own pair of sapphire eyes. Kurogane on the other hand didn't look at Kamui but kept his eyes on her. She looked back into his eyes for a moment and found that she was unable to hold her gaze. If she looked more, she might pour her heart out again to Kurogane like she had done before when she got jealous over Chii. She looked at Syaoran and Mokona who looked very worried now. She smiled half-heartedly at them then she nodded at Kamui to drag her away.

When they were far from them, Meine whispered her thanks to Kamui who steered her into an empty table. He just snorted and made her eat the food that was placed in front of her. She didn't taste anything as she chewed slowly.

"Are you going with the others to hunt?" Kamui asked.

She glanced at the direction of her companions and saw only the top of Fai's head. "Is _he _going to be there?" Kamui didn't need to ask who _he _was.

"I heard that that boy and the blond one are coming along."

She sighed. After a minute of thinking, she shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay here. I'll watch over Sakura and roam around." She tried to add a cheerful smile. "I'll do a little exploring while they're away."

Kamui's eyebrows furrowed. He stood from his seat with a sigh, taking his half-eaten share of food and reached out to ruffle her hair with his free hand. "Don't force yourself too much. I'll be underground. If you need me, just call my name out loud."

"I know." She said. Her cheeks hurt from forcing her facial muscles to smile when they don't want to.

* * *

Meine watched from a higher floor of the right tower as the hunting squad left the building. She couldn't identify who they were since it was far down and their hoods were up to protect themselves from the light, burning rain that was pouring again. She touched the glass and breathed upon it. Her breath fogged the glass and before it slowly disappeared, she wrote the word _'love'_ with her finger and watched it as the fog disappeared. She hated being sentimental all of a sudden.

She heard light footsteps coming towards her direction and she turned to the door even before the young Kazuki entered with a first aid box in his arms.

"I brought what you asked, Meine-san!" he said cheerfully. Meine smiled, she was getting used to the boy's cheerfulness. He laid it on top of the bed. "I made sure that no one saw me when I took it out from Natuku's room."

"Thank you, Kazuki-kun." The boy grinned at Meine's praise and he left.

Meine went straight to the bathroom and took off her shirt. The bruise looked worse and whenever she touched the injury, she would wince in pain. "Damn it." She opened the small, half-empty vial that was labeled **PAIN RELIEVER** in big, bold letters and popped one in her mouth. She then proceeded to treat it with cold compress and some ointment.

After putting her shirt back on, Meine then decided to check on Kurogane and Sakura. She was walking towards the room they stayed in at a leisurely pace when she felt a huge wave of power wash over her. It was the feeling of Sakura's feather. She hurried her pace to the room where Sakura slept when her vision went fuzzy that she had to lean against the frame of the door. Subaru's voice echoed in her mind.

"_Meine-san… you must leave. The time of danger is approaching. You must go as soon as possible."_

She felt herself being drawn to a slumber once again but she fought it this time. Not now when Sakura was in danger. She can't be drawn to sleep again now of all times. She fell to her knees and she grabbed unto the door frame. Kurogane noticed her when she fell to her knees.

"Oi!" he tried to go to her but he didn't let go of Sakura. "Don't you go fainting on me!"

She struggled to fight Subaru out of her mind. She closed her eyes, telling him in her mind to let her be even just for a little while.

Meine felt someone touch her shoulder and Subaru's presence disappeared from her thoughts. She looked up to see a tall, lean man standing behind her; his eyes and hair a beautiful golden color. She took a deep breath and the man who introduced himself as Kuzuki Kakyou helped her up.

"I see that it has happened." He said. His voice was quiet as if he was whispering it.

"What are you talking about?" Kurogane demanded.

Meine stood quietly by the door, trying to calm herself after having a strenuous mental fight. She never knew that fighting with merely your brain without force was difficult.

"You came from a different world, from a different time. Isn't that right?" Kakyou said.

Kurogane and Meine's eyes met and with that they warned each other to be cautious. Kurogane unsheathed his sword slightly and he balanced Sakura on his knees while he placed himself in a position where he could easily take out his sword.

"What makes you think that?"

"In my dreams, I saw you coming. I can see the future but not all of it. In a dream, I saw you and your companions coming. The dreams I see usually foretell great changes that will happen to Tokyo. I foresaw Kamui coming as well." He looked at Meine over his shoulder and he looked into her eyes for a moment. Meine looked back, her heart hammering. It was like he was reading everything, reading her soul. Every nook and corner of her being. It was like how Kurogane looked at her, only his was much, much more intimidating.

"You're a dream gazer?" Kurogane asked.

Kakyou nodded. "This girl is sleeping." He stated

"If she's only sleeping, why isn't she breathing?"

"I wasn't talking about her body. The part of her that is asleep is her soul."

Meine's grip on the door frame slackened and her arm fell limp to her side. Then it dawned on her. There was only one place in this whole building where she would be drawn out of her body.

Suddenly, she felt the strong familiar surge of Sakura's feather. After that, it disappeared. She felt a cold chill on the back of her neck and she looked up to the ceiling to the top of the twin towers, unseen.

"No…" she whispered.

"Yes." Kakyou said also looking up. "The barrier protecting the Tokyo Government Building has disappeared."

Heart hammering louder than ever, Meine slowly found the control of her motor skills. She turned away from the room and ran towards the staircase that went down to the direction of the reservoir. If she had felt it, Mokona should've felt it too. She heard Kurogane's angry voice calling her back, but she didn't slow down.

Four flights, nine flights, Meine lost count as she continued to descend two steps at a time. She knew wouldn't make it on time. She lengthened her stride and just plain ran, not caring if she nearly tripped over some naïve, innocent group of children playing by a landing.

She finally arrived at the double doors and she could hear ruckus from inside. She pushed the door open and was able to see Syaoran on mid-jump and he landed in the water. The other double doors on the other side were open ajar and she could hear more people coming.

Meine cursed under her breath and hesitated by the water. She can't swim, but it was about time that she did. She does remember what Akemi had told her as a child before pushing a friend in the lake. Take a deep breath, hold it and jump in. Use your limbs to propel forward. But Meine has always been afraid since that friend almost drowned if Akemi hadn't begrudgingly saved him. She unclasped her red waterproof coat.

She jumped hard off the platform and she positioned herself that her feet hit the water first. She held her breath and all of a sudden her vision was impaired by a flurry of bubbles and her hearing muffled by the water against her ears. Through the bubbles he saw Kamui and Syaoran battling under water.

"Kamui-san, don't hurt him!" she thought.

To her surprise, the other two seemed to have heard her thoughts. She never knew she had that ability before. Syaoran was caught by surprise but Kamui wasn't. He took advantage of Syaoran being distracted and attacked. Meine gasped, bubbles spewing out of her mouth but for some reason she could breathe. Syaoran was floating there in the water, red blood oozing from the wound on the base of his neck and floating to the surface above.

Kamui licked the blood off his bloodstained fingers, his eyes immediately turning gold and her pupils to slits. "I will kill you, if he drink all of your blood maybe he will awaken." She could hear his thoughts as well.

"Kamui-san, don't…" Meine thought.

"Blood?" she heard a new voice echo in her mind. She recognized it to be Syaoran. "Subaru… Kamui… The vampire twins that Seishiro-san…"

Before the young man could finish his thought, the nails in Kamui's right hand grew into foot-long talons and he lunged. His left hand clamped on Syaoran's throat. "It looks like you know who that man is. Your fighting style is very similar. Even though he has not shown himself here, at least someone like him came."

All she could do was watch. She was floating in the water, unable to do anything. She knew very well that if she wasn't who she was and if she didn't have a history with Kamui, she would be in Syaoran's position.

"He might be coming very soon." Kamui continued. "This time I'll definitely kill him. But before I kill him, I'll start off with you."

Kamui drew back his hand, Meine screamed in her mind for him to stop. With a quick movement, his sharp talons cut into Syaoran's neck making the boy lose consciousness. More blood floated up to the surface. Meine felt tears in her eyes but seeing as she was underwater, she ignored this. She couldn't find her limbs to move. He directed most of Syaoran's blood with a little bit of his powers and made it go into the sphere.

"Subaru," he said, completely ignoring Meine there. "I will awaken you."

Meine slowly swam towards Syaoran's floating body and Kamui. She found swimming to them easy enough, but still a little overwhelming.

"When we came to this world, you started sleeping under these waters. I protected your sleep for a long time now. If you keep sleeping like this, that guy will definitely catch us. We have to move to another world soon."

Meine noticed that Syaoran started to stir, but something was different. His aura, kind and gentle, was different. It was slowly disappearing. This Syaoran was the same she had seen with Kurogane in that dark space in Rekord. His eyes were blank and lifeless.

Syaoran swiftly moved forward to attack Kamui with a kick, but Meine fortunately moved to stand between them and block his kick before Kamui was hurt for not turning around in time. Syaoran was attacking fast and Meine could only defend. He was pushing her back towards Kamui and the sphere.

"Syaoran-kun!" Meine thought, knowing that he could hear her. This wasn't the Syaoran he knew and grew to love.

"_Meine." _A new voice called. It was Subaru's. The sphere that was a foot behind Meine began to glow faintly. _"I'm sorry, but now is the time that I have spoken of. Forgive me, my princess."_

The sphere started to glow brighter and the once solid shape turned into liquid. The bubble stretched and was starting to surround her. The sphere was trying to swallow her inside. She struggled but the water around her seemed heavier than what was normal. She looked frantically at Kamui who could do nothing but watch. Meine opened her mouth to scream and a flurry of bubbles expelled from her mouth. A name popped in her mind that she couldn't help but think about.

Fai.

Meine was sucked into the sphere where gravity didn't seem to work on unconscious people. Sakura was there, intangible since she had no body and Subaru as that big black blob floating in the corner. Her own nails grew to talons and she clawed her way out of her prison, but it was no use. The bubble was like steel on the inside, which was probably why Subaru had imprisoned her there.

She fell to her knees. There was water here in the sphere as well, but for some unknown reason she could breathe. The water was as light as air as if it wasn't there but yet it was. She looked at Kamui and Syaoran inside. She could still hear their thoughts only now it was as clear as a bell in a quiet night. Both poised to fight and Meine screamed at them to stop. None of them would listen. Syaoran kicked while Kamui evaded and scratched him with his deadly weapon. As their fight progressed, Meine could tell just by the look on Kamui's face that he is losing. This Syaoran, whoever he was, was strong and determined. Much like the Syaoran she knew but this one had no inhibitions and didn't care if he hurt anyone. One wrong move, Syaoran was able to grab hold of Kamui wrist, break his arm, kick it and make it bleed.

Meine screamed in shock, her face covered in fresh tears. Kamui's face showed his pain. He would heal pretty quickly, the more she looked at him, the faster the wound was closing. His blood, a brighter shade of red than Syaoran's but still looks the same to normal sight floated to the surface.

She heard the faint splash of water above and bubbles came from above. Fai's form appeared and he took in the scene in front of him. Syaoran was holding Kamui with one hand on his bloody arm and the other on the back of his neck; Meine inside a magic sphere.

"Fai-san!" Meine exclaimed when she saw him. He glanced worriedly at her direction, then back at Syaoran and Kamui.

Kamui, easily distracted with people who just pop in uninvited glared at Fai. He took his chance and did a 360° turn, shredding Syaoran's shirt to pieces. He stood up straight and used Syaoran's blood to fully heal himself and mend his clothes. "I never would've thought that an "E" would have this much power. Prey like this is to be raised to be food for those who feed on blood like Meine and I. It has no soul, nothing but a fake human." Kamui turned to Fai. "Are you that thing's owner?"

"No." Fai replied. Meine could only listen quietly.

"Could it be that hunter's? Because Subaru gave that guy blood…"

"You're wrong." Fai interjected. "Syaoran-kun is a very good kid. He's protecting Sakura-chan and giving his all to look for the feathers."

Syaoran once again regained consciousness and looked up to make Meine gasp in surprise. His right eye was glazed over and had lost its color, figuratively speaking.

"You knew he wasn't human, right?" Kamui asked. That grabbed Meine's attention. "Even though it was subdued, he probably possesses a considerable amount of magic power. If inside this thing there is something that you call a heart, you probably know that it was given to him by someone else."

"Even though it belongs to someone else, even if it's fake, to the person who received that heart everything is real!" Fai thought. Meine was torn between looking at Syaoran, at Fai, and at Kamui. But her attention was on Syaoran. His right eye glowed and a magic circle that Meine has never seen before appeared and grew to the size of his face. As it grew, she saw that it was the weirdest magic circle that she has ever seen. It had eight corners and a Taijitsu symbol was in the center, surrounded by rays of the sun. The light was growing brighter from his eye eerily.

"What—?" Meine asked unable to finish her sentence.

"The magic of the right eye is disappearing." Fai said informatively.

Water gushed around the sphere to the corners of the reservoir to create a swirling vortex and they were in the heart of it. Everyone in the reservoir outside the sphere was sopping wet.

Meine felt something happening, like a rippling sensation. The feel of the dimension they were in was being distorted. Apparently she wasn't the only one feeling it.

"Someone is coming from another world." Kamui said. "It's not that hunter."

Meine looked down at the unseen bottom of the vortex. The weird feeling was coming from there. She could tell it wasn't very fast and it would take a moment before whoever was coming to arrive. Her heart was beating fast, she could tell something was about to happen…something bad.

"It's the other Syaoran-kun." Fai said his eyebrows furrowing. For some reason Meine wasn't fazed by this.

A loud, roar-like sound came from Syaoran's direction and she immediately looked at him, her nose nearly touching the surface of the sphere to get a better look. The magic circle from his eye was starting to break. Little by little the cracks on the edges were creeping to the center. She could feel the kind presence of the Syaoran she grew to love through the time they spent together disappearing as the cracks lengthened.

"Syaoran-kun, don't forget who you are!" Meine shouted to him but he didn't hear her. Her hand was balled to a fist against the sphere's seemingly thin but very durable surface. She looked up at the black mass floating above her. "Subaru-san, could this possibly be the danger you were speaking of?" There was only silence.

"That heart belongs to you." She heard Fai's thought loudly in her mind. "It was created by you together with Sakura-chan and everyone else who cares about you…"

Meine's eyes widened. "Fai-san, don't! It won't work!" she exclaimed. He glanced for a moment at Meine and his eyes showed his determination to save Syaoran. She banged her hands against the sphere hard. "Please don't!" she pleaded.

He raised his hand, two fingers outstretched. Blue light sparked around him as he used his magic for the first time in a really long time. Meine felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise a little as he unleashed his own seal to hide his power.

"I won't let Syaoran-kun's heart disappear!" he said.

Blue letters in his language appeared and snaked its way to Syaoran. It surrounded Syaoran and it started to crackle blue light as it fought to keep the magic circle whole. It was evident on Fai's face that his magic was not enough to keep Syaoran's heart. The cracks slowed their way to the center of the circle but it didn't stop completely.

A purple light glowed from the bottom of the vortex and Meine saw Yuuko's magic circle appear.

"It's like what I felt from before." Kamui said to Meine looking at the magic circle that popped from nowhere, moving closer so that he stood next to the sphere near her. "The same feeling is getting closer."

Yuuko's magic circle glowed brightly. At the same time, the cracks on Syaoran's side had cracked all the way right to the middle and it emitted a strong burst of blinding light. Meine kept her eyes wide open despite that and the Taijitsu symbol floated freely above him, free of its bindings. Fai took a few steps back as his magic backfired and dispersed.

This Syaoran took the Taijitsu, which Meine guessed to be his heart and dropped it, letting it fall to the edge of where they were standing on. Fai caught it just in time before it fell to the abyss. He held it tightly in his hand.

"Syaoran-kun…" he whispered. Syaoran was walking towards him and stopped a foot away from him. Without even hesitating, he kicked Fai right on the jaw. Meine screamed as he collapsed hard on the ground. Her nails were digging into her hands but she didn't care. He winced in pain and was down for a while.

"Is there only this one feather in the world?" Syaoran asked. His voice was cold and empty. He took a step towards Fai and knelt beside him. Fai tried to get up, using his arm to support himself. Syaoran reached for his chin and roughly turned him so that the mage faced him.

"Don't touch him!" Meine screamed. She hit her fist repeatedly against the bubble.

"Just now you used magic." Syaoran said. He looked at Fai's eyes, his thumb brushing the area just below his eye. "Is that eye the source of your magic?" Fai's eyes widened. "To get all the feathers back, I need your magic."

"Unhand him, you foul, loathsome, heartless monster!" Meine screamed louder. She could've screamed more vulgarities at this Syaoran. She could feel her blood boiling inside her. She dreaded what was coming; her heart beating erratically, her breathing in slight pants. No one, not even Syaoran or whoever this is was allowed to hurt the man she loved, even if that man did break her heart, claiming he played with her, and tossed her aside as soon as he got bored.

Syaoran grabbed Fai by his hair and made him sit up. Meine was screaming Fai's name repeatedly, calling him to fight back. But Fai didn't move. She looked at Kamui and begged for him to help, but he merely looked away and avoided looking at her. Tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes. Syaoran pressed on the lower lid of Fai's left eye. The mage's hand was shaking and Meine can see it clearly.

With a quick movement, Syaoran's finger plunged into Fai's eye socket. The mage screamed in agony and so did Meine. Her tears were flowing freely, screaming with all her might, begging him to stop hurting Fai. Blood dribbled down his cheek and with a sickening pop, his blue eye was gouged from the socket. Both of Fai's eyes were closed and his chest heaved. Meine desperately clawed for something to grab onto, screaming with horror and concern for her love. The most gruesome sight was when Syaoran brought the eye to his lips and ate it whole. The crunching sound as he ate was making Meine shudder.

The water exploded around them and magically floated around them in big bunches. Meine could see Kurogane standing over the edge of the solid ground above them, his eyes wide as he saw Syaoran standing up, blood on his feet and dragging a bloody, unconscious Fai.

"His eye is… blue…" he said slowly, the sight slowly sinking in to his brain.

"Kurogane-san!" Meine shouted to call his attention. He snapped out of his trance and saw that Syaoran had raised Fai by his shirt and his blood-soaked fingers went to Fai's right eye.

"Stop!" Kurogane yelled jumping off the platform and landed lithely beside Syaoran, holding back his hand. Syaoran didn't feel any pain as the ninja tightly held his wrist and held them back. He looked back at him coldly and Meine was able to get a good view of his right eye.

It was sapphire, the same eyes that looked at her with kindness and affection was on another human being. She felt her control slipping away. She was now blubbering like a child.

"Fai!" She cried.

"You ate his eye…" Kurogane said, looking at Syaoran's face with disgust.

Without even hesitating, Syaoran kicked Kurogane hard on the stomach. The ninja hunched over, his hand over his middle and he coughed repeatedly.

"I want his right eye too." Syaoran said. His voice sounded colder, much more menacing.

"Give him back to me." Kurogane growled.

Syaoran just looked down at him. "His eyes are the root of his magic. He'll be useless without the both of them."

Kurogane rose to his full height, his grip on the boy's hand tightening. "Give him back." He annunciated each word with force. Syaoran stared at him with blank, different colored eyes. He lifted Fai and leaned forward towards the mage's face. He opened his mouth and bit on Fai's right eye.

That was when Kurogane lost his will to hold back. He grabbed Syaoran by his thin neck and threw him at the wall. A loud crunch echoed eerily in the empty reservoir. Meine gasped, more tears in her eyes. But this Syaoran didn't even give a reaction. His right hand dangled in his side, his arm positioned awkwardly.

Meine cried loudly, something that she has been doing very often now and she reckons she ought to stop the habit. She wiped her eyes with her hands and tried to hit it again hoping that this time it would break. She wanted to do something, something to help Kurogane, Fai, and save the Syaoran she knew.

"His arm broke." Kamui said. His eyebrows were furrowed as he watched the scene and kept on glancing at Meine. "It's no use Meine. The boy you knew is gone."

"Don't say that." She whispered. Kamui placed his hand over Meine's. She could feel the warmth of his skin through the bubble. "Please let me out of here."

"I'm sorry, but this is to protect you."

More tears poured from Meine's eyes. Her back was tingling, her chest was aching. Everything was happening all too fast. She banged her fist harder against the surface of the sphere. The pain in her chest was heavier and more painful. She didn't want to just sit out of battle.

"You're not that kid." Kurogane said. "Your aura is different." He supported Fai in his arms.

Syaoran stood up. "I will get the feathers back, no matter what."

Her eyes widened as she watched Syaoran raise his left hand and he wrote similar letters of the one Fai wrote earlier. More insults and vulgarities were screamed at Syaoran; it was all she could do. The spell surrounded Syaoran and a strong gust of wind blew from the spell. So strong in fact, that it turned some of the concrete to rubble. Kurogane didn't have time to run for cover. He turned to Fai, put his arms around him and used his back as a shield.

"No!" Meine shrieked.

Everything happened so suddenly, time seemed to slow around her. Her heartbeat changed and felt like it was coming out through her throat. Her scream stuck in her throat and her vision doubled. It was like looking into two mirrors side by side. Everything wasn't in line. Her whole body was burning. She hunched over and screamed, but now it was because of pain. It was like something was building up inside her and was coming out all at once. She felt like she was going to die. Meine heard someone calling her name, but it seemed like it was from far away. It was like hearing an echo. She looked up, trying to see something but everything was going black. She was being drawn into an inviting, dreamless slumber. Something was telling her that it was time to sleep and this was all a dream. It was so inviting, Meine felt the pain turn to warmth, very comforting warmth. She closed her eyes and all was done.

* * *

Kamui jumped back away from the sphere when Meine had screamed. Everyone else's attention was pulled from the fight and was now on Meine. She was screaming, hunched over and holding her chest. The sphere was crackling electricity, giving the sphere an eerie glow. She screamed and screamed and he knew that it was happening.

"Meine!" he shouted. He took a step towards the sphere but something was stopping him. The power was too strong. "Meine!"

She looked up and her eyes, instead of being the lovely amethyst color that they were, were silver. Several gasps were heard around the room. Even the two fighters seemed to have forgotten they were fighting. Blue, icy wings shot out of her back and Kamui was blown away by the power. Fai thrashed weakly in Kurogane's arms. The wings folded over Meine and she was lifted off the floor, wings supporting her as she closed her eyes, curled up to a ball like a child, and the wings folded over, it's feathers interlacing to create a cocoon.

The crackling of electricity stopped, but the cocoon where Meine was glowed blue with power. It hovered in the middle of the sphere where Sakura or Subaru wouldn't be able to touch it.

"Meine!" Mokona screamed. "Kurogane, Meine is—"

Syaoran used his stolen magic and used a soft gust of wind to blow the creature out of Kazuki's arms. Mokona cried out and was caught by one of the taller members of the building that were watching.

"In order to get all the feathers back, I will take what I need. And get rid of those who stand in my way." Syaoran glared at Kurogane.

Kurogane glared back, his hand shaking in anger. "This guy, he changed himself for the sakes of you three children just so he can see your smiles." Syaoran didn't reply. This made him even angrier. "Do you hear me, Kid?"

Yuuko's magic circle glowed brighter and wind built up around it. A whooshing sound and a person materialized from another dimension. It was a young man, brown hair and a black eye patch on his left eye. It was Syaoran, not the Syaoran who gruesomely ate Fai's eye, but another one. Their eyes met and the new Syaoran disappeared momentarily only to reappear a second later in front of the blue-eyed Syaoran, acting as a shield for Kurogane and Fai.

Meanwhile, Sakura's eyes opened and she looked around. Her eyes widened as she saw Kurogane and his injured back, Fai with a bloody eye, and Syaoran with a tattered shirt and a splatter of blood on his cheek.

"Everyone!" Sakura called. She failed to notice the glowing cocoon behind her that was Meine. Her eyes were focused on her Syaoran's figure. Slowly he turned his head and Sakura saw that his one eye is blue. She gasped, moving away from the surface of the sphere.

"What is that?" Kurogane asked.

The blue-eyed Syaoran's chest glowed and the Taijitsu glided to the new Syaoran in the room. He took it in his hand and looked at it with sad eyes. "This is the half of my heart that I gave you a long time ago. That magician just now tried to return my unsealed heart to you along with your stolen right eye." Kurogane twitched and looked at the barely-conscious man in front of him. "But once the seal is broken, no matter who uses whatever type of magic, there is no way of returning it."

The Taijitsu melted and disappeared into the new Syaoran's chest. "The magician should've known that too, but yet he decided to make a gamble on that possibility." He slowly undid the cloth that covered his eye, revealing brown eyes full of fire.

* * *

Meine found herself once again in her black empty space where she could float; the place in her mind where time didn't move and she could do whatever she wanted. But this time Meine was not here for sightseeing. She was on her knees, both of her hands holding her head as her mind buzzed painfully. Pictures of a past that she did not know flickered in her mind. Something was happening, something bad.

Her mind was finally able to focus on one particularly blurry memory which she has no recollection of ever happening in her life. There was a silhouette of a tall man with a large, muscular built covered in flowing clothing. He stood tall over another silhouette of a shorter man, average built and still quite tall. Their voices were mere murmurs, as if they were speaking the language of bees. But Meine was able to pick something up from all of that. The words that the taller man said _"She will vanish" _echoed in her mind.

* * *

"Kurogane-san! Fai-san! Moko-chan! Syaoran-kun!" Sakura screamed as she banged helplessly against the sphere. It did nothing but jiggle in her weak attempts to break it. No one seemed to give her any attention.

"Through that eye, I've been experiencing everything that has happened to you." The real Syaoran said. "That you consider Sakura over there the most important to you… That doesn't come from my heart. It was something you decided for yourself!"

The clone Syaoran took advantage of the real Syaoran's lowered defenses and kicked him with his left leg in the stomach. He jumped to a higher platform and he held his side, gritting his teeth from the pain. From that angle, Kurogane was able to see the symbol etched on the clothes of the real Syaoran. His eyebrows furrowed in anger and confusion.

The clone Syaoran jumped after the real Syaoran and they exchanged blows. Not a single hit connected with its target. Both had the same fighting style and could easily read each other's movements. But the clone Syaoran was gaining, though it was only by a few. He was able to push the real Syaoran back and he aimed for the back of the head, which was blocked with the back of his hand. At this rate, no one was going to win. They were either going to tire each other out or one of them could slip and make a wrong move, though that was very unlikely.

The ninja noticed this too. He looked up and the spectators above and called for the white creature's attention. "Give me my sword!" he ordered.

"O-okay!" Mokona said. It opened its mouth to retrieve Kurogane's Soushi, but Syaoran used his magic and intercepted Mokona. Instead, Hien came out and with another handy spell, teleported it to his hand.

Kurogane and Mokona were both equally surprised. "I wanted to get Kurogane's sword." Mokona explained. "But Syaoran used his magic to make me bring out Hien."

The clone Syaoran held his sword with his unbroken hand, even though it was his non dominant hand. He used another spell and blue characters slid down the blade of the sword.

The real Syaoran gasped but it was too late. Orange flames engulfed him and he had no way to hide to protect himself. Kurogane took Fai and held him back. Kamui simply leaned away, unfazed by the fire. The whole reservoir was surrounded by flames that the building was cracking above them.

"It's about to collapse!" Kazuki screamed in fright and held unto Nataku. Mokona was in tears, screaming the names of its companions and friends again and again. Pieces of the ceiling and the platform cracked and broke away. The pillars collapsed but thankfully the ceiling did not fall on top of them and killed them all. The fire was slowly destroying everything it touches, all except for the sphere in the heart of the once filled reservoir. The fire simply evaded it.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura screamed.

The flames finally died down, leaving only rubble and smoke. The clone Syaoran stood in the middle of it all, his limp arm dangling on one side, his other clutching the sword tightly. There was a clatter meters away and the real Syaoran emerged from underneath fallen rocks with a wound on his head and burns and bruises everywhere, but other than that he seemed well enough to fight.

"Back then, when I gave you half of my heart, from the other side of that mirror I told you, until the seal on your right eye is released and the half of my heart leaves your body… During that time, you will have the opportunity to grow your own heart that is separate from mine. I gambled everything on that to happen. I believed that as you met different people and lived amongst them that you would acquire your own heart." The weird magic circle that came from the clone Syaoran's right eye appeared under his feet with such power that wind surrounded him, blowing his hair up. "But, if by the time the seal is released and you were still unable to create your own heart…" He clapped his hands together and pulled away. A rod of pure power came from his hand. As it got longer, a hilt of a jian formed. "… and continued to protect things that are not real without listening to reason, then I would be the one to destroy you!"

He pulled out his double edged sword so that the flat of the blade faced his double. "Raitei Shourai!" Electricity hit the clone Syaoran dead on and he was blown to a wall without so much as a groan. The real Syaoran jumped after him and took the opportunity of his downfall to kill him. He pointed his blade to the clone's throat and was about to slash him when—

"Stop!" Sakura pleaded. He hesitated and looked at the girl with her eyes full of tears. "Don't kill Syaoran-kun!"

In that short moment of hesitation he could've ended it all. But sadly things turned for the worse. Syaoran had left himself wide open by pulling back his blade by a mere inch. The clone stabbed him with his sword, blade going through his flesh. Sakura gasped. The clone roughly pulled out his blade and the real Syaoran fell to the ground with a thud, blood oozing from the stab. The clone swung his sword to get rid of most of the blood on the blade and walked towards the sphere. The real Syaoran tried to stand but he fell to the ground in pain.

"Syaoran… kun…" Sakura whispered as the clone approached her. Her eyes widened as he pointed the tip of his sword at the bubble, directly in front of her face. She slowly crept backwards. Her eyes were now full of fear for her own life.

The clone Syaoran raised his sword and swung at the sphere, cutting it open. At once, the clone was pushed back a few steps by some sort of unknown power. Light emitted from the cocoon that held Meine. As the sphere ripped, the large, blue, icy wings unfolded and revealed a completely different person inside.

The girl was Meine, but she was not her. Something was different. Her feet hovered half a foot from the ground as the wings supported her. There were weird markings all over her body. Her closed eyes were framed by delicate and intricate swirls of lace-like sapphire tattoos. It stretched down to her neck and even possibly down her back and chest because there were also markings on her hands and legs.

Meanwhile, Fai who was being held by Kurogane was writhing and trying to get up but can't. His body was convulsing and he muttered, "Must kill" repeatedly as Kurogane held him down. None of them could say a single thing to say. They simply watched as the scene unfurled in front of them.

"Meine…" Kamui whispered his eyebrows furrowed.

As if on cue, Meine opened her eyes revealing silver eyes instead of their amethyst or golden color. Her eyes were locked on the clone Syaoran's figure that stood in front of her. Slowly, her fingernails elongated to long talons. It was a demon. Her fangs were sharper than they were before.

She lunged. Her speed was even faster than her regular self. She scratched Syaoran on the chest and he bent over in reaction. Meine kicked him hard and sent him flying to a wall, his chest with five bleeding cuts. Meine, or whoever this was, was about to follow after him when Sakura grabbed her hand.

"Please Meine-chan, stop hurting Syaoran-kun." She pleaded.

The demon Meine was as cold as the clone Syaoran was. She looked blankly at Sakura and after a second pulled back her hand. She flew swiftly to the clone Syaoran and kicked him on his side to make him stand up. The clone slowly stood up, supporting himself with his better arm. Meine retracted the talons on one hand and grabbed him by his hair to pull him up. She brought up her other hand to trace her sharp nail under his chin. Red blood oozed slowly from the thin cut that she had caused.

The clone Syaoran raised his leg and kicked at the demon Meine. She was able to move away in time and she jumped meters away. The clone Syaoran stood straight and raised his good arm. Immediately, blue letters formed a circle in front of him and a gust of icy wind blew from the spell. Snow and ice came from nowhere and was directed at Meine. She didn't even bother to move. As the cold gust of wind, snow, and ice came within five feet of her, it was directed to another direction. The magic was simply avoiding her and it split in two as it came close to her, freezing the objects that were hit by the spell.

Meine ran towards Syaoran, making her surroundings turn to ice. Kurogane had to take a heaving Fai to higher ground to avoid being turned into a Popsicle. Meine came close to Syaoran and dispelled his magic as soon as she got in contact. Her hands clasped around his thin neck and she raised him till he was inches off the ground. She looked at him with hatred in her eyes.

The clone brought his sword up and tried a feeble attempt to attack Meine but she merely glanced at the sword and it got thrown away to a corner. She raised her other hand with the talons out and was about to stab him on his torso, particularly at the area of the liver to make him die a slow painful death. She failed to notice that the ring on her finger was glowing, but everyone else did. She pulled back her hand to strike when the ring let out a bright light so bright that everyone had to look away to not be blinded.

Meine was slowly returning to normal. Her wings were folding and her hold on Syaoran was loosening. The clone took the chance and kicked Meine on the side, sending her to fly to the far side of the wall where she hit the wall with a loud thud. The wall crack under her and she fell towards the ground. Kamui moved from behind his hiding spot and caught Meine in time before the fall could do any more damage to her body.

She had fainted. Her wings were gone, her talons withdrawn, and the ring that had caused her to lose consciousness slipped off her finger and rolled on the floor, turning into ashes as it stopped moving.

The clone Syaoran retrieved his sword by the use of magic and once again approached Sakura. It brought fresh tears to Sakura's eyes as she saw that the Syaoran that she loved was even more wounded than he was minutes ago. She could speak as he pulled back the remnants of the bubble that protected her. But he was not looking at her. His eyes were fixed on the slimy cocoon behind her that lay unmoving.

Kamui saw this and immediately stood, holding Meine against him with one arm. His eyes glowed gold as he poised to jump and stop the clone.

"_Wait, Kamui."_ A voice echoed in his mind.

He stopped. "Subaru?"

"_Wait."_

The clone Syaoran raised his sword and pointed this at the cocoon. Sakura's eyes widened and screamed at him to stop, but he didn't. He slashed upwards at on particular part of the cocoon and out came the glowing feather that belonged to Sakura. She gasped in surprise.

The clone took the feather and the sword with one hand and somehow pulled Sakura up. She yelped and looked into his dual colored eyes, looking for some sign of her Syaoran. He held up the feather with a finger and brought it to her face.

Her eyes widened. "No, please… please wait." For the first time she was looking at her own feather, a fragment of her memories, with fright. "Syaoran-kun."

He placed this over her chest and immediately the feather started to return to its owner. The clone held her back as she leaned down from the power. She looked like she was in pain to be forcefully put to sleep again by her memories. She stared up at him with puffy eyes, and tear-stained cheeks. She tried to keep her eyes open and say something but no words came out.

"I will find all of the feathers, no matter what." He said his voice eerily cold. "There are no more feathers in this world. There is no further reason for me to stay. I need to go to other worlds to search for the feathers.

A rip in the dimension appeared and they knew that this was a portal to another world. He let go of Sakura and allowed her to fall to her knees. Sakura raised her hand and grasped his arm to stop him. She could feel herself drifting to sleep already. "Syaoran-kun..." she whispered. "Don't go…"

He looked at her face for a moment and a flicker of the old Syaoran appeared in his eyes. But then he twitched. His face looked pained unlike his cold demeanor from earlier. He pulled his hand away and stepped into the portal. It closed behind him.

Sakura started to fall for the ground, finally forced into another sleep. The cocoon opened and a kind looking man with jet black hair and kind green eyes held her up. He cupped Sakura's cheek with a gloved hand. "I woke you up at the most painful moment…"

"Subaru!" Kamui called. He jumped to where his twin was, holding Meine easily with one arm. He reached out with the other and they touched hands before his feet even touched the ground. He set Meine gently beside Sakura.

"I'm sorry, Kamui, for letting you worry." Subaru said.

Kamui knelt down and laid his head on his shoulder, their fingers twined together. "I'm glad you're awake. Now we can leave this world. We can take Meine along with us."

"We can't leave yet." Kamui's head snapped up and looked at his twin incredulously.

"We have to go before that guy comes."

Subaru looked down at the two girls on his feet. He reached to touch Meine's forehead. "Please wait a bit more."

Meanwhile, Kurogane approached the only remaining Syaoran in this dimension with his eyes full of rage. He held the injured Fai in his arms. His eyes were transfixed on the symbol on Syaoran's chest.

"What is that symbol on your chest?" he asked. His voice was dangerously soft and low.

"It is the symbol of the one who killed your mother." Syaoran replied.

Kurogane took a step towards him when a voice echoed in the room that made him stop.

"Please wait." The voice said. A projection of Yuuko wearing a kimono was coming from the red gem on Mokona's forhead. "This Syaoran was taken prisoner by the one who killed your mother. It's likely that he does not know where he was imprisoned."

Kurogane glared at the boy, who looked back at him with honest eyes.

"Yuuko!" Mokona exclaimed. "Kurogane and Fai are injured!" it said with tears continuously pouring from its eyes. "And Meine, Sakura, and "Syaoran" are hurt too!"

Yuuko looked away, her expression pained.

"After this, you're going to have to tell me everything, witch."

* * *

Meine woke up and found that she was on a bed with Kamui using his legs for her as a pillow. She could not open her eyes yet for they stubbornly remained closed but she was aware of what was happening around her. Her wounds were treated and bandaged and there a lot of people in the room. Those people were hustling and bustling about. She could hear clicking and snipping from somewhere within the room.

"…Looks like this isn't helping." The woman who introduced herself as Satsuki said softly as Meine heard more clicks.

"What do you mean?" Mokona's scared voice said a little too loudly.

"His entire eyeball has been gouged out. In his current condition, death wouldn't be surprising." She explained, "Not to mention that we don't even have enough medicine."

"Plus, we don't have a surgeon here." Kigai Yuto said softly. "Satsuki may be a doctor, but performing an operation under these conditions is too difficult."

"What will happen to Fai?" Mokona's voice was shaky. No one replied. An uncomfortable silence hung over the room. Meine felt a cold sweat on her face. Mokona sobbed. "Yuuko! Yuuko!"

Mokona had called Yuuko. "Please! Fai's going to die! Yuuko!"

"No…" Fai's hoarse voice whispered. "... can't…" He was having a hard time just speaking. "If I continue living… Syaoran-kun will be able to use my magic. Even though it's only half, it is still too powerful. We won't be able to stop him."

A loud bam, as though someone had hit the wall and nearly broke it came from the opposite side of the room. It was Kurogane who had hit the wall in anger. "…Why are you already thinking about dying?" he darted towards Fai.

"Don't do that, Kurogane!" Mokona pleaded.

Kurogane grabbed Fai by his shirt and raised him off the bed. Mokona yelped and was thrown off it. He looked so angry that he could punch Fai even though he was already like that. His breath came out in shallow pants.

"…Sorry." He whispered, and his head fell limp as he fainted.

"Hey witch." Kurogane said, not turning to look at Yuuko. "Is there a way to save this guy?"

There was a moment of silence before Yuuko replied. "Yes." Meine felt like jumping out of her skin. "However, if I were to do that, the price would be too heavy to bear."

"What can we do?" Mokona asked.

A set of loud, running footsteps approached the room and the curtain door whooshed open. "The underground water is almost completely gone!" Kusanagi said.

All the inhabitants of the building in the room looked up in shock.

"It's because I appeared right there…" Syaoran said.

"No, it's my fault." Subaru said. "As soon as we arrived in this world, we were pulled towards a sunken power beneath the water. It was I who drew that girl into her slumber. So, even if what happened afterwards was unavoidable, it was my fault that it occurred in the basement."

Everyone was silent.

"…Whatever the cause is," Kakyou said. "It won't bring back the water. You seem to have an idea?"

"Yes." Subaru whispered. He took a deep breath and looked into the eyes of the witch. "It's been a while, Yuuko."

"So it has." She replied with a small smile.

"I have a request… I would like to have water enough to fill the underground reservoir."

Gasps were heard from around the room. Even Meine was a bit vexed to why this was what Subaru wished for.

"There is a price." Yuuko said. "it is the same as when I gave the two of you the means to cross dimensions as twins."

"I understand." He replied.

"Kurogane," Yuuko said. The ninja glared at Yuuko, but she didn't seem fazed by this. "Please ask me to fill the underground reservoir with water." She brought up a finger to point at Fai. "And then, in return for requesting Subaru's wish, ask Subaru, that he give his blood, a vampire's blood, to Fai."

Meine felt Kamui hold her shoulder too tightly, but she didn't complain. Her body grew numb at what Yuuko had said.

"A vampire's ability to regenerate far surpasses that of a human's. Even more so here, since these two are purebred. If he receives that blood, Fai will not die."

"No." Kamui whispered. "If he becomes another interference like that hunter…"

"Kamui, wait, okay?" Subaru asked.

"Will Fai turn into a vampire?" Mokona asked. "Will he have to suck blood from lots of people like… the ones in a book the Yuuko once showed me?"

Meine could tell that Mokona was about to say her name but changed it. She wanted to speak up, but her conscience told her to shut up for now.

"He would if he received the vampire's blood and nothing else. Someone must sacrifice themselves to become the prey. Someone who wishes more than anything else for Fai to survive even though he doesn't want to. It is that prey's responsibility for making him live."

"What does the prey have to do?" Kurogane asked.

"The prey must give his blood along with Subaru's. If that happens, it will make Fai only able to accept the prey's blood. Or rather, he will not drink anyone's blood other than the prey's."

"Does that mean if anything happens to the prey, Fai will…?" Mokona asked, unable to finish the sentence.

Yuuko nodded. "He will die."

"I get it. I'll pay for the water so hand over the blood." Kurogane said.

"No." Meine said, finally speaking for the first time. This felt right. She was going to be the one to do this and not someone else. "I'll do it."

She slowly sat up, pushing away from Kamui who had his hand on her shoulder. Her hair was loose and covered most of her face. She sat up properly and pushed the hair out of her eyes.

Mokona and some of the others gasped as soon as she looked at them. Others just looked at her with their mouths half open.

"Meine," Mokona whispered. "Your eyes…"

Meine looked at the window behind her. It was dark outside and she could easily see her reflection. She still looked the same to her. She had a few cuts and bruises here and there but nothing serious. Nataku approached her and handed her a broken shard of a mirror from the bathroom. She took it and looked at her eyes.

Her eyes were now the same as Syaoran's. Her right eye was still the amethyst color that it was, but her left eye was silver. She only had a vague recollection of what had happened during that time that she had succumbed to sleep. She saw it all, but everything was blurry and slow. She then remembered that flash of bright, warm light that woke her up from her sleep and she was simply gone.

She touched her left eye and didn't say anything. She took a deep breath and looked up at Yuuko. She looked at her with sad eyes, and Meine knew that she knew the answer to the questions buzzing in her mind.

"I'll do it." She repeated.

Yuuko nodded. "I intended for you to be the one to do it. You will be perfect as the prey."

"Why?" Kurogane asked. She could tell just by looking at him that he was very, very angry.

"Meine is not a pureblood vampire as she was told since she was a child." Yuuko explained. Meine accidentally let go of the mirror and it clattered to the floor. "She is only half a vampire, half vampire, and half human."

"…h-how?" Meine stammered. "How am I so powerful compared to the other vampires then?"

Yuuko turned to Meine. "You and your brother are children of a very powerful wizard that comes to par with the magician Clow Reed and I. He met your mother as he was travelling across worlds in search for something when he decided that it was time to settle down. You and your brother have inherited that gift of magic. The two of you displayed power that is greater than a pureblood's due to the magic in your blood."

"But this doesn't make any sense—" She said.

"Do you not notice that you and your brother do not find the need to drink blood as usually as your other kin?" the witch asked. Meine froze. This was true. She only found the need to drink blood on occasion. "That is because the magician's blood in you is stronger than your vampire blood. You hold the attributes of being a vampire like the gold eyes, sharp talons, and the ability to regenerate quickly, but that could be taken away from you without getting you killed. Drinking a mage's blood as powerful as yours would help Fai regain some of his magic."

"I see." she said. All questions she had as a child was now answered.

"Meine, don't…" Fai whispered.

"SHUT UP!" Kurogane bellowed. "If you want to die so badly, I'll kill you. But now Meine wants to save your sorry ass so just shut up and don't complain." Fai looked at him with shock and he closed his eyes and smiled.

Meine stood up and touched Kurogane's elbow. He looked back at her eyes sadly and exhaled. He stepped aside but still held up Fai's head.

"I'll do it." Kamui said. Subaru tried to stop him but Kamui had already stepped forwards and cut a slit on his wrist with a finger. "I don't want anyone to mess with Subaru's blood anymore, even if it is a friend of Meine's."

He sighed and walked towards Meine. Their eyes met and she too took out her arm. She was about to cut it with her nail when Kamui held her elbow.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

Meine smiled sadly and nodded. She made a cut on her own wrist and allowed Kamui to put his wrist on top of hers. The blood trickled down her wrist and it fell into Fai's mouth. His eyes turned gold the moment the blood hit his lips.

Fai's back arched in pain and he convulsed as his body began to change. Meine looked away.

"Hold him down." Kamui ordered and he held Meine's shoulders. Kurogane did as ordered. "The very structure of his body is changing. Obviously, he is in great pain."

Meine could not help but tear up as Fai gasped and gritted his teeth in pain. Kamui held her back and offered to her his wrist that was still bleeding. She looked up to him.

"Drink it." He said. "You've lost your power to regenerate and drinking a bit of my blood would heal your wounds like before."

She took a deep breath and licked the length of Kamui's wound, wiping it clean of blood. Her eyes turned gold like before and as he had said, her wounds were disappearing. Her bruises were disappearing and the cuts were closing up and fading. She could feel the warm liquid coursing through her veins.

"Thank you." She whispered, wiping the blood that escaped from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Could everyone please go outside for a bit and give us a moment alone?" Subaru asked kindly. Fai was opening in mouth and writhing in pain, but not once did he scream. He held tightly to Kurogane who held him.

"Let's go."Kakyou said. "These people aren't going to run away."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help." Satsuki said sadly as they all exited the room.

Subaru held Meine as she tried not to cry.

"Hold the princess." Kurogane ordered Syaoran. He nodded and took the sleeping princess in his arms.

Even Yuuko looked pained as Fai was in pain. No one spoke. Meine could see Fai's nails digging into Kurogane's arm. His nails were going to be talons like hers. He was going to be vampire like her. Was he going to hate her for saving his life even though he said no?

"What will happen to his left eye?" Kurogane asked.

"Wounds that he received before becoming a vampire will not be healed. Because it was gouged out, the socket will remain empty." Kamui explained.

"Vampires aren't eternally young and immortal. That's just a myth. Nor are they vulnerable to sun or holy water. Because these two are purebred, they have incredible regeneration capabilities." Yuuko said. "However, Fai originally possessed strong magical powers that granted him longevity, so this hasn't really changed. The prey's lifespan will increase alongside his. Those who have acquired vampirism are just a little stronger than humans and they will age more slowly. But unlike before, in order to sustain his life, he must drink the blood of the prey."

Meine took a deep breath and pulled away from Subaru, giving him a quick nod when his concern showed obviously through his actions. "I know." She said. "I've been told before."

Yuuko nodded. "One more thing, if you get back the stolen left eye, Fai's magic will also return. That will neutralize the vampire blood in him. Your duty as his prey will end if Fai's eye returns."

Mokona gasped, but it wasn't one of anguished shock. "That means if Fai gets his eye back, he won't need the blood!" Meine was surprised to hear this as well.

"So you were testing her?" Kurogane asked. Yuuko just looked at him with wise eyes.

Fai's grip on Kurogane's arms loosened his hands slipped to the bed. He was huffing and puffing for breath. He wasn't in pain anymore. The bandage around his once bloody eye came loose and hung limp around his head. He looked up, his hair covering well the eyeless socket but all was able to see his golden right eye. His eyes scanned the room for a moment and they fixed on Meine. They stared at her for a second longer than the others before he collapsed to the bed.

"Fai!" Mokona and Meine exclaimed. She ran to his side and pushed back his hair. He had fainted. His hair was wet with sweat and she found the need to remove the useless bandage around him.

"He'll be alright." Subaru said, placing a consoling hand on Meine's shoulder and smiling. "Let him rest for a bit."

"Thank you…" Mokona said looking at Kamui before jumping onto his chest and weeping again. "Thank you for giving Fai your blood."

Kamui was taken by surprise. "…It was nothing."

Meine caressed Fai's cheek, running a thumb across his left eye. With his eyes closed like this, it was like nothing had changed…

She heard the rustling of cloth. She looked up to see the real Syaoran who held Sakura holding out a black eye cover. She took it carefully from his hand and gently tied it around Fai's head to cover his eye.

"Meine," Yuuko spoke. "Even if you don't return the left eye, Fai can still choose not to drink your blood, no matter what method you use. From now on even if he smiles it does not necessarily mean that he has accepted it."

She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to Fai's. "I know. I know that when I agreed to be his prey that things wouldn't be the same."

"There are more things that I want to hear," Kurogane said, his arms crossed as he stood next to the bed. "But first, we have to do something about the underground water."

Yuuko nodded. "Mokona, go with Kurogane." With that, the connection with the witch flickered off.

Meine was aware that all eyes were on her, but she refused to move. She wished that this if possible was all just a bad dream. She was still in bed safe and sound and Fai was still Fai. She knew for a fact that she was just deluding herself, but she refused to believe it.

"Meine," Kurogane said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We need to go. I'll carry him down."

She stubbornly shook her head, not wanting them to see her face. She could feel the unwanted tears stinging and wetting her eyes.

She felt warm hands over hers and tried to pry them off Fai's shirt. They were so comfortingly warm that she let go even without wanting to. Subaru made her stand by holding her shoulders and Kamui stood in front of her, partially blocking her view of Fai as he was being picked up by Kurogane. Subaru wrapped his long, black cloak over her shoulders and turned her around so she was looking right at him.

"Don't worry, Meine. Everything would be all right." He said soothingly.

In the bottom of her heart, Meine strongly wished that it was.

_**-chapter end-**_

* * *

_**Meine-chan09: **_well... that is all for now. Thank you so much for reading! :D Please look forward to the next installment of this series. I promise you that you will not be disappointed :)

Oh btw, I would like to respond to **Princesa de la luna's** review.

Hi sweetheart! thank you so much for leaving a review ^_^ I like to draw and we happen to have a drawing of Meine, please check out the link located on the first chapter. I'll see what I can do about your request, its a great idea and I would love to do it... if I could find some time. And I won't mind reading/reviewing animes and I've read/watched **all** of the animes/mangas you mentioned :)


	13. XIII: Tokyo part 3

**heyzelle: **forgive us for not updating in a while, but finally I have finished it! (excuses for our tardiness are below)  
For now, I won't stop you. Sit back, relax, read, and enjoy. Don't forget to review.

**_disclaimer: WE DO NOT OWN THE RIGHT TO TSUBASA RESERVior CHRONICLES, but we do own Meine._**

It's kind of long, but it has been a long time since we have updated.

* * *

**XIII: Tokyo part 3**

Her wish as of the moment was to fall into a deep slumber. She felt numb, inside and out. She allowed herself to be shepherded by the vampire twins Kamui and Subaru down the stairs after the others. Her hand lightly grasped the long coat that Subaru placed over her shoulders. Her eyes stared blankly into space, lost in unhappy thoughts.

"There was rumbling just now." said one of the inhabitants of the building as they passed with Kusanagi. Meine glanced at them with her oddly blank and distant expression. A curious, innocent child leaned forward to get a better look at her face that was hidden behind her hair. The child gave a scared whimper and hid behind the legs of her mother. Meine didn't even react to that. "It sounded like it came from underground."

"Is the water okay?" the brother of the other child asked. He looked like he was about to cry.

After a moment's pause and a meaningful glance at the others, he placed a fake smile on his face. "Yeah, everything's fine." Kusanagi lied.

They continued to walk, Subaru held her shoulders while Kamui brought up the rear. In front of them a few feet away from Meine was Kurogane, Fai cradled like a child in his arms. His face was calm as he slept, unlike the pained expression from earlier. She looked down. She couldn't look at his face without tears threatening to blind her eyes. She didn't want to cry.

She felt the fine hairs on her body stand as she felt an enemy presence approaching. She, Kamui, and Subaru were the first to notice the arrival of their unwanted visitors. They all looked up at the same time that it surprised some of the bystanders, making the others stop in their tracks.

"Seriously, why do they have to appear at a time like this?" Kamui muttered under his breath. He stepped forward and scowled at their visitors as they started to come closer, barely visible in the acidic rain

"It's those guys from the tower!" little Kazuki snarled, stepping forward. Nataku held him back.

The brakes of their vehicles squeaked as they came to a halt under the building's protection. The figure up front dismounted his craft and lowered his hood. He had small, round, dark glasses smiled and held up the object in his gloved hand that gave a weak glow. Meine squinted as if she couldn't see what was inside it. It was Sakura's feather, but what was odd is that she felt nothing.

"Looks like the population here has gone up since back then." he greeted nonchalantly as if he wasn't trespassing into enemy territory, eyeing Meine and Subaru with curiousity.

Mokona seemed to have realized the object in his hand as well. "T-that's Sakura's feather!" she stammered in confusion, "But, but Mokona isn't going "Mekkyo!""

"It's as though you can't sense it right?" he asked. His tone was infuriatingly light and breezy.

"Fuuma…" Kamui growled.

"What do you mean?" Syaoran demanded, stepping forward.

"This feather has the ability to protect whatever is beside it. But no matter how much I analyzed it, I couldn't figure out how it worked." he explained, "Thanks to this, the tower can still stand even after being exposed to acid rain. There was something like this at Tokyo City Hall too, I'm sure. But recently, the feather has disappeared."

The tension in the room heightened to a dangerous level. No one dared to move or speak but their leader Kamui. "What makes you think that?"

"Just as Tokyo City Hall has someone who can see the future in their dreams, we have our own priestess who can foresee disasters." Fuuma glanced behind him and looked at a woman in particular. It was the Arashi of this dimension.

"If that's so, why have you come here with that feather in hand?" Kusanagi asked.

"I want to make a deal." Fuuma's tone suddenly turned serious. "I will give this feather to Tokyo City Hall."

This all seemed to be surreal that everyone was apprehensive. They gave each other meaningful glances without uttering a single word.

"And in return?" Yuto asked.

"Please let the people in the tower live here." He advanced towards Kamui and spoke in a lower voice. "The tower is running out of water that we won't be able to hold out for much longer. And here, there is water but there's no feather to protect it. So I propose that Tokyo City Hall will provide the water and the tower will provide the feather."

A kind-looking, middle-aged man who wore glasses stepped out of the line behind Fuuma. He smiled kindly and explained even further. "We were thinking that since there is more living space here, wouldn't it be better for everyone if we all lived in the same place, don't you think? It would end the little spat that the two groups have been having since." Most of the visitors nodded in agreement.

"How about it, Kamui?" Fuuma asked.

Kamui took a step back and stood in front of Meine and Subaru. "The one who will decide is not me but the people who live here. I am about to leave this place."

He stood there for a moment, puzzled. He looked at Subaru behind him and realization spread across his face. He smiled. "…I see."

The other leaders of the building huddled away from Fuuma and discussed this, glancing at their visitors every now and then.

Meine listened to the pitter-patter of the rain and the sizzling of the rocks it slowly corroded upon contact. Her attention was attracted to Fuuma when she caught him gazing at her. She stared back, not really focusing on one thought. She can't throw off the single idea that comes back to her thoughts though, that this man looked familiar though she is certain that they have never met before.

The others, on the other hand could hear what they were saying and Meine only broke her gaze with Fuuma when Mokona shouted, "But that belongs to Sakura!" She looked up to see Mokona arguing with people much, much bigger than she is. "It is something very important to her. We've been traveling together in search for those." Mokona's loud voice trailed off in the end. "But one of us has abruptly left now…"

"Wait." said a soft voice. Sakura had begun to stir.

"Sakura!" Mokona exclaimed.

Syaoran set her down on her feet and held the small of her back for support. Sakura stood steadily on her feet and placed a hand on his chest to gently push him away. She looked at his face, her eyes filled with so much emotion that it was impossible to pinpoint which. But she looked away almost immediately, her expression poorly concealing the pain she felt. "I'm fine." she whispered to him, not meeting his eyes. He looked at her with eyes full of concern. Meine couldn't explain it, but an air of uncertainty or something similar hung over them. It was clearly visible that they cared, and at the same time, hesitant to have contact with each other. Meine closed her eyes. It was a sad, hapless event to happen to two people who were falling in love.

"Moko-chan, are you really unable to sense the feather?" Sakura asked. Mokona's ears flapped as she shook her head. She turned to Meine and she too shook her head once. Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her fingers twining in front of her stomach. It was something that Meine too tended to do when she spoke as a princess and not as herself. "As long as there is a feather here, this building and the people within it will be protected, correct?"

"Yes." Fuuma said.

"Then," she closed her eyes and spoke calmly, "we will leave the feather as it is in this country." She said it with finality that the others were speechless. Meine didn't bother to comment about this. This was her decision.

"But, if your feather doesn't return to you, your memories won't either!" Mokona said.

"It's okay." she breathed. Pain flashed across her face but she quickly composed herself. "It's okay."

It was obvious just by her expression that a lot of things were going on in her thoughts. Meine wasn't the only one who could tell. Kurogane and Mokona looked equally worried. But Syaoran was just staring at her with his eyes wide open, his mouth slightly agape. He seemed to be able to understand something that the others could not.

The tension with the issue of the feather dissolved when Sakura decided to leave her feather in this dimension. The members of the tower were welcomed by some with open arms, others still quite hesitant. They all proceeded to the underground reservoir which was already crumbling. Just to get to the platform in front of the water they had to jump over all the rubble and the debris left from the previous battle. Meine could see traces of blood here and there; she tried her best to ignore it.

The water was near empty when they got to the platform. Meine settled herself at the back next to Kurogane, away from the crowd and the sight of the destruction down below.

"Is everything okay here?" Yuuko inquired as she appeared as a projection from Mokona's red gem.

"Yeah." Someone replied.

"Mokona," Yuuko called. The two Mokonas, the one on their end and the black one answered simultaneously and got into position.

Mokona stood on Kamui's shoulder and opened its mouth wide. More than 20 or so round jars filled with water clinked onto the stone floor. Everyone watched in awe as jars filled with clear, shimmering water shot out one after the other in rapid succession. The creature burped after the last one landed on the floor with a thud and giggled an excuse.

Yuuko ordered each one of them to pick up a jar and open it at the reservoir. Meine didn't bother. They did as they were told and an immense amount of water shot out from it. For a jar that wasn't exactly that large, it spewed out water thrice, or even up to five times its volume. Meine unconsciously stepped back from the water and wrinkled her nose. The water smelled somewhat funky. She didn't like the smell of it one bit, not to mention the thought of drinking it was making her gag.

At last the reservoir is once again filled with oddly-smelling yet clear, sparkling water.

"In a way, this water is unclean because it has not been sterilized, the essence of nature is still in it. It is very powerful." Yuuko said, "Nevertheless if you allow this water to be polluted again, everything will revert to the way it was before. This world will be as it was in the past. Before the water disappears, you must rebuild the structure of this world. The rest is in your hands."

"But what kind of structure should that be?" the Yuzuriha Nekoi of this world ask the people around them. "And what are we to do about the feather's container?" Murmur filled the room so much that it echoed. SOme broke into groups and discussed plans, but not all of them was complacent just yet.

"There is no sorcery or magic of any sort in this world." Kamui said. Everyone fell silent. "Mechanisms to protect a thing like that… There shouldn't be a need for such a device, nor would you be able to make one in this world."

"Oh it isn't from this country." Fuuma said with a small smile as if this was supposed to be something obvious and raised it a little higher for the others to notice what he was indicating. "That's because four years ago, I brought it from another dimension."

Meine almost missed what he had said. She straightened up and her eyes met with Kurogane and Syaoran's.

Fuuma stepped out from his corner and looked up at the projection of Yuuko's image. "Good afternoon, Yuuko-san. What time is it over there?"

"It would soon be evening."

"Good evening then." He smiled brightly. "I've had no means of communication since I entered this world, so I've had to keep quiet for a long time."

"What's the meaning of this?" Meine whispered but her voice still echoed around the room. "Who are you?"

"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" Kurogane asked Yuuko, but it was Fuuma who replied.

"I'm one of Yuuko-san's newer customers."

"Newer?" Meine asked. No one answered her.

"That container is one of the items you are searching for, correct?" Yuuko asked.

"Yeah, because that's my job." He looked at his audience to further explain. "I'm a hunter. I search through words looking for things that are precious. I can be hired, but there are also times when I search for treasures that I want for myself amongst the other things I do. We're both hunters, but we're looking for different things, my big brother and I."

Meine felt a chill run through her spine. Now she knew why he looked familiar. Fuuma looked at her for a quick second before turning to Subaru. "It's nice to finally meet you. You are Subaru-san, right? My brother is indebted to you."

Kamui was faster than Meine was. As she stepped in front of Subaru to shield him, she was only able to see Kamui's after image as he ran to Fuuma, his sharp claws out. He had scratched at his face, throwing his dark glasses to the ground and had bestowed a significant three, parallel cuts on his cheek. Yet the smile on his face remained. Mokona had fallen off Kamui because of his speed and Meine caught the creature in her arms before she hit the ground.

"You!" Kamui bellowed angrily and stood in front of Subaru. "You're the younger brother of that hunter?"

"While passing through worlds, I crossed paths with my brother once. It was then that I heard about the vampire twins. According to him, the twins would always be together. But when I arrived, I had only met one. I was wondering what had happened to the other. Were the two of you able to reunite safely?"

Kamui glared at him with eyes full of hate. Subaru apparently took this as a sign and used his own body to switch positions with Meine. He pulled her arm and pulled her back so that she was behind him. With a slash of Kamui's arm aimed to the floor, a strong gust of wind able to crack and break the concrete under their feet cracked and attacked Fuuma. Meine was watching from the crook of Subaru's arm. Fuuma had acted so calmly. She wasn't able to speak as he withdrew a long rope with a metal claw at the end and with one flick expertly tied it around Kamui's arms, rendering him defenseless, weaponless, and immobile.

"Kamui!" Subaru shouted, letting go of Meine and taking a step towards him. Meine watched her mouth ajar. Kamui has never been rendered practically useless since... since Akemi had a lucky strike before. Fuuma was surely one of the top of his profession.

Fuuma pulled on the rope and Kamui was pulled into his open arms. He playfully wrapped his arms around the smaller figure. "You're just like how my brother described you. You really are feisty and strong, Kamui." Kamui was obviously straining to get out of his hold. He bared his teeth and squirmed.

Subaru stood there calmly and pulled off the black glove on his right hand. Meine took a step back.

Fuuma seems to have noticed too and smiled. "He had also told me that when Subaru is angry, Subaru can be very scary."

The long sharp talons from Subaru's hand slowly came out. His eyes were shining gold and his voice was calm when he had said it, but you could not ignore the subtle change in his tone. "Please let go of Kamui."

"Of course." He raised his hand and immediately the rope retreated back up his sleeve. Kamui jumped back to Subaru.

But now his eyes weren't on the twins at all. Fuuma's eyes, which were in a way like his brother's pierced through Meine. She wanted so much to hit him just because he reminded her of what Seishiro had done. But she could not lose control.

"You must be Meine. Seishiro-niisan was very fond of you. He had told me lots of stories about you. I see that you grew up to be a lovely young lady."

Compliment or not, the sound of Seishiro's name stirred something up in Meine. Both her eyes turned silver for a moment. She had willed ice to form under Fuuma's feet and it was too late when he had noticed it. The ice was creeping up his feet and half way up his leg.

"Enough." Yuuko said loudly. Meine gasped and looked the Yuuko. At the same time, the ice around Fuuma's feet shattered like glass. "You brothers have been nothing but trouble for a long time."

"Surely you just mean my older brother." Fuuma said jokingly, as if nothing had happened.

"You are too."

"Seishiro-niisan has yet to come to this world. We should finish our businesses in Tokyo before he arrives."

"Well then, about the price of the water." Yuuko continued, "Kurogane." The ninja shifted Fai slightly in his arms and looked at the witch, waiting for her to continue. "There is something that I need you to do."

"I will—" Syaoran began, but someone else cut in before he could finish.

"I will do it." Sakura said. All of them turned to the princess, her eyes were filled with determination. "I will be the one to do it. I've been asleep the entire time we've been in this country. I haven't been able to do anything to help. So I will be the one to do it."

"I'll go with her!" said Meine.

Yuuko looked at the two girls and shook her head. "Only one may go. For the two of you to go together, especially for you, Meine would be too easy."

Meine gritted her teeth and she moved to stand beside Sakura. "Then, let me restate what I had just said." She looked straight into the witch's eyes. "I _wish_ to go with Sakura in this journey."

Everyone fell silent. Their eyes darted from Meine to Yuuko, and once or twice to Sakura.

"There is a price." Yuuko stated.

"I am aware of it." she replied.

"What are you willing to wager?"

Meine looked at her hands for a moment, slowly they closed to a fist. She took a deep breath and lowered it to her sides. She tried her best to stop them from shaking noticeably.

"I will give my everything to you. Everything that I have. Whether it be status, abilities, and even this weird power stirring inside me. Take it all."

"Meine!" Kamui said, his tone worried and at the same time fierce.

"This is my choice!" she snapped. He fell silent but glared at her. She looked at him with her mismatched eyes and tried to apologize through them. She had never raised her voice or used her authority like that before. "Stay out of this." She looked up and looked at Yuuko who looked back at her with unreadable eyes.

"That price is too much for this task." Yuuko uttered. "I have no use for your status as the princess and heir of your kingdom. Instead, I shall take your powers." Yuuko pointed a finger at Meine. "I will only seal your powers temporarily. The moment you complete your task and return, I will lift the seal and your powers will return."

Meine nodded, not letting her relief show on the outside. Her eyes met with Sakura's and she seemed to be saying a thousand words with one smoldering look. The bright light that was once in her eyes since the beginning have faded.

The two of them were led to a secluded room with Mokona as requested by Yuuko. There she spoke to them of what they were to do. Out there where monsters lived was a pair of special eggs, both at different locations. One is at the east, the other at west. The twin eggs should be brought back to the building safely.

"Meine," Yuuko began as she had thoroughly explained what they were to do. "Stand in the middle of the room." She did as she was told. Her heart was hammering erratically but she ignored it. She stood directly within eye level of Yuuko's projection. Her red eyes were as piercing as always. "What I am about to do will hurt a bit; do you still want to continue?"

She nodded and clenched her fists tightly.

Yuuko raised her hand as. At once the magic circle appeared under her feet and a strong gust of wind blew the dust up to her face, blinding her momentarily. When she opened her eyes, her wrists and ankles were bound by black rope-like magic that sprouted from the ground. She didn't dare scream. She knew that the witch knew what she was doing.

A bright, purple glow came from the circle and she felt that something was being forcibly ripped out of her. It didn't just hurt a bit, it was hell. She felt like she was being stabbed by a hundred knives at once and it was being repeated over and over and over again. Her bones felt like rubber and if it weren't for the bindings that held her in place she would've collapsed on the floor. It felt like a minute was an eternity. But still she did not scream, not wanting to cry out in pain especially since this was what she decided on. She bit hard on her lip, drawing a bit of metallic-tasting blood. She felt weaker and weaker by the second as the pain started to build up.

Then it was over. The binds loosened, the light and the magic circle faded, and Meine felt the pain subside only to be replaced by numbness. She fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, barely conscious and gasping for breath. She felt weak. She couldn't even find the energy to lift her head up. All she could do as lay there on the floor.

"Take her to the bed," Yuuko advised Sakura."She'll need to rest before you two venture outside."

An hour later, even though Meine still felt considerably weak, the two of them began to prepare. They changed in the same room in silence into protective clothing and strapped a large belt bag that had to be kept in place by tying the other buckle around your leg.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked, worriedly glancing at Meine as she saw the other grimace slightly.

"I'm okay." Meine whispered, tying her hair up in a ponytail. "I'll be okay."

Sakura clasped her water-proof raincoat and sighed. "Please be careful, Meine-chan."

Meine couldn't help but smile sadly and look at her. Sakura was about to face something she probably has never done before. All she had by her side is courage and determination. She lowered her coat and took her hands. "Everything is going to be okay, okay? Promise me that we will return back alive." Sakura nodded, her eyes starting to glisten with tears.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine and Sakura stood by the entrance making last minute preparations. Even though Meine could no longer perform her techniques and other whatnot, she still had the knowledge on how to do it. This was explained by Yuuko as she was recuperating from the pain she had felt earlier. She would be able to remember them, but not do them. She found this very annoying and agitating.

"Do you understand how to ride it now?" Fuuma asked the two of them after explaining how to use the hovering bikes they had. She and Sakura nodded.

"Are you two really going by yourself?" Mokona asked. Meine avoided looking at anyone and stared at her shoes.

"Yuuko!" Mokona cried. "The rain in this country really hurts! There are also big monsters. It would be really dangerous to be out there."

"That is why they must go their separate ways and bring back what I have asked them to find from the location I have disclosed. That will be the price." With that, Mokona couldn't say anything more and the connection with Yuuko ended. She hugged Meine's cheek before jumping over to Sakura's shoulder to do the same.

Meine watched as Sakura approached Syaoran and they spoke for a while. She in turn, went to Kurogane who had laid Fai on a flat bed of rock. He didn't even say anything to stop her from going. He just looked at her.

"Be careful." he said.

"I will."

He patted the top of her head. That was when Meine noticed that his back and white shirt were shredded in places and covered with dried blood and soot from the fire spells from earlier. She took his calloused hand from the top of her head and held it with both hands. "Please get your wounds treated while we're gone. And…" she paused for a moment, glancing at the place where Fai lay. "I leave him to you."

He squeezed her hand gently and released it. "Come back in one piece. We'll be here waiting."

Meine walked over to where Fai was. His left eye was covered by the black eye patch. She sat down beside him and looked at his face. She held his hand with both of hers and pressed it against her cheek. Even if he may not have feelings for her anymore, even if they weren't real as he had said to her before, she didn't care. She still loved him; it was a strong feeling that drove her forward.

"I'll be going now, Fai-san." Meine whispered to him as she leaned forward, her long hair partially creating a veil to hide what she was doing. She moved and took in his features, smiling sadly a little. There was a chance that this could be the last time she was to see his face. She placed a small kiss on his lips and pulled away.

She went to stand next to her allotted bike as Sakura continued to say goodbye to the others. Meine's eyes met with Syaoran's and he nodded at her, worry etched on his face. She nodded back.

"Meine," Subaru's voice called. She turned to see him walking towards her with Kamui in tow. She smiled a little and walked a few steps to meet with them.

"Are you well prepared?" Subaru asked. "Do you have all the things you need?"

"Yes."

He didn't say any more. He just hugged her tightly for five seconds before releasing her and taking one step back. Subaru then turned to Kamui and beckoned him to come closer. He was standing away from them, his arms crossed and looking angry. This was Kamui pouting.

He begrudgingly stepped forward and yet he avoided looking at Meine's face. He glared at one spot at a wall. "You better come back." she heard him mutter under his breath. She smiled a little and nodded. He sighed and he placed a hand over her head patting it the way you would pat a dog.

"Meine-chan,"' Sakura called from behind her. It was time to go. Meine and Kamui exchanged half-hearted smiles. She gave a last fleeting look at Fai, and walk towards bike. Sakura was already standing next to hers, her pockets had a large bulge on it full of ammo.

"There's no turning back once we go out. Are you ready?" Meine whispered to her as she passed her to get to her own vehicle. Sakura nodded in reply. She could see that she was tense but she was still going on with this. "Be safe."

They straddled the bikes, turned the ignition, and without a backward glance plunged into the darkness of the night.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine continued to go west as Yuuko had instructed earlier. She had no idea of how many minutes have passed since she wasn't given a watch; all she knew is that she has been traveling far. She could no longer see the tall building whenever she looked over her shoulder. The chilly night air that blew against her face has made her skin numb. She felt uneasy now that she couldn't fight or that her senses are not as sharp as before.

With her senses diminished, Meine was not able to see the gigantic creature with thousands of eyes hidden by the darkness. Its many eyes followed its prey as it approached. The air rattled as he breathed. As soon as Meine was close enough, it pounced.

The monster appeared, clicking its giant pincers and scuttling on its eight legs. Meine nearly fell off her bike. She had moved just in time to evade white, gooey string that shot out from its mouth which burned a whole on the ground. If she didn't move, she would've been burned badly.

She fumbled for her gun and shot at the monster but missed. She cursed loudly into the night just to relieve the tension and she steered her bike. Though it was dangerous,Meine tried going around it but the creature swung its hairy leg right in front of her path, causing her to be thrown off her bike. She rolled on the ground, her injured shoulder accidentally hitting a particularly sharp rock. She grunted in pain but forced herself to stand up. It throbbed in pain, but it wasn't enough to render her immobile. She would not die here and be dinner for a giant arachnid. She pointed her gun again and fired. She connected with one of the spider's beady eye. It screamed loudly, hurting her ears. She ran for cover, one of the things that Fuuma had advised very quickly just in case they encountered creatures along the way.

She ran as fast as she could. But she had forgotten something. She had concentrated too much on keeping distance between the monster and herself that she failed to notice objects sticking out from the ground. She fell and skidded a few feet till she came to a stop. She was now dirty, her clothes ripped in places, had scratches on her front and face. She could feel blood trickling down her leg. She had skinned her knee.

Unable to move momentarily, the spider had shot out its web at Meine. She moved in time to not get it full on the face but she didn't move far enough. Her right leg got splattered upon by the burning, sticky web. Her boot sizzled as it started to melt. She screamed in pain as some of the burning substance burned her skin. With tearful eyes, she removed the sticky web. Her skin was raw and burned and her nearly-healed ankle had hurt once again. Her leather gloves had holes on them, but she didn't care. With shaking hands, she reloaded her gun and aimed blindly at the monster.

Three loud, consecutive bangs echoed through the night. A shot or two connected and the spider fell to the ground. Panting, sweating, and shivering even though she was wearing a thick coat, she got shakily to her feet. Her heart was still hammering.

She limped her way around the dead spider who had sprawled on its back with its legs curled and tangled. She found her bike, a bit dented but still working perfectly. Now that the adrenaline rush was passing, she was tired and sore. But she had to go and finish what had been started. Praying with all her might that Sakura was okay, she turned the ignition back on and continued to head west.

Meine was more alert this time. She checked her surroundings as she drove through fallen buildings, upturned cars, dead bodies, and many more unnameable things. She forced her ears to hear things that could be the sound of a breathing monster.

The way seemed to never end. She had been driving for how long now, and fortunately not a single monster appeared on her path. She was close to thinking that she would never find the tall wall of rock and debris that Yuuko had said was her landmark.

Finally, it appeared in the distance. A tall, misshapen formation was up ahead. Meine sped up and stopped at the foot of the rock formation mixed with eroded debris. She looked left, she looked right. The formation stretched onwards and there was no choice but to climb up it. She was hoping against this. She shook her bad leg to test its strength. She parked her bike under a memorable-looking rock, detached the compass, and set out on foot.

Ignoring the pain as she climbed, Meine got up easily within 15 minutes, taking her time and choosing stable-looking rocks. She was halfway up the rocks when she stepped onto crumbling piece of debris and lost her footing. She slid down the wall, her fingers searching frantically to grab onto something. Her fingers were bleeding, she could feel it. Her gloves once thick and durable were now worn out. She came to a stop when she landed hard on her feet on a flat rock that stuck out. She gritted her teeth in pain as she fell to her knees and gasped for breath. Her legs were heavy now. She had deep gashes on her arms, a burn on her leg; she was covered with grime and dirt. She wanted to rest, give up; but she shook the thought away from her mind. She wasn't going to give up, not when she was so near her goal. She held on to the wall as she got to her feet, wobbling slightly.

More careful this time, Meine got to the top without anymore injury but it took time. She paused to catch her breath and looked around. In the distance was the object she was looking for. The egg, shining brightly in the distance stood out for her to see. It was nestled in a beautiful rock formation that looked like a hand holding it out for the sky to see.

She got a bit far away from the edge of the cliff when she heard the hissing of more than one creature. She stopped. When she looked up, another enemy blocked her path.

A double-headed, gigantic cobra slithered out of its hiding place. Its forked tongues came out from between its fangs that were as long as how Meine was tall. She gulped and stepped back. Her ankle throbbed painfully but she didn't dare tear her eyes away from its heads. Slowly it slithered towards her. She froze. The head on the right stuck out its forked tongue and licked the blood the dripped to the ground from Meine's wounds. They hissed expectantly and started on Meine.

Without taking her eyes away, she started to step back, feeling her way using her hands. She was back near the edge. If she were to fall from this height, she could die. She picked up a heavy looking rock with and threw it to the left head. It hit the snake in the eye and it hissed angrily. Meine took her chance and ran left while it was blinded and the other worried about his partner.

It was a stupid move.

She had completely forgotten about its tail. She didn't see it as it swung in front of her and she was thrown off her feet only to hit the wall. Her left side hit the wall with such force that it she bounced twice before falling hard onto the ground. She groaned. She could feel that she was losing blood. She looked up at the wall and saw her own blood smeared upon it. Her head started to spin slightly, She could feel warm liquid trickling down her face.

With difficulty, she fumbled for a weapon in her pockets. She had dropped the compass somewhere when she ran, and her fingers couldn't distinguish whether what she was getting was weapon or something else.

The snake spat and hissed angrily as it poised to attack. Meine couldn't get up from her spot on the ground. Finally, she found her gun and aimed it at the snake. Not caring anymore if she was wasting ammo, she shot blindly at the monster with both eyes tightly closed. It screeched and both heads fell to the ground on either side of her, their tongues lolling out and blood spewing out of the slightly gun wounds.

She pushed herself up slowly, her chest heaving. That was close there. She could picture herself being torn apart and devoured by those snakes a second before she shot.

Meine staggered to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. She looked at the distance for the egg. It was still far away, surrounded by collected rain water. But before she would go on and take it, she would have to find the compass first or she wouldn't be able to return.

She retraced her steps, climbing over the dead body of the snake. She made her way towards the edge when she spotted a glint of glass at the corner of her eye. She turned around to see the compass. She ran towards it and picked it up. It was still working, other than the scratch on the side and the small dent from the impact, but nonetheless it was still fine.

She gasped in surprise as she stepped into the water. Her boots sizzled as she limped towards the egg. The water was reaching up to her knees, up and beyond her boots. She was panting and trying to ignore the pain, but her skin was prickling as it was slowly being burned. She stepped onto the flat rock and gently took the egg out of its place with both hands. It was warm and it gave her a sense of calm.

She took the bunch of soft cloth in her bag and wrapped the egg securely around it. She replaced it back inside.

She walked a little faster across the water this time, nearly tripping but thankfully got hold of a rock that scraped her hand a little. She walked past the dead, double-headed snake and was once again by the cliff. She was panting slightly, having limped back here so fast.

Meine looked back over her shoulder and took in the bloody scene and the pedestal in the horizon. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she wasn't able to hear or notice the cracks slowly forming on the floor. Before she even had time to contemplate what was happening, it had broken off from the cliff.

She was falling.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Syaoran stood outside watching the horizon for any sign of movement that could be Sakura or Meine. He couldn't do anything else but wait patiently for them to return. He felt useless just standing there. He heard Kurogane's light footsteps coming towards him but he didn't move his eyes from continuously searching the distance. They could arrive at any moment.

He felt a warm, water-proof coat thrown over his head.

"Put it on." Kurogane ordered. The dried blood in his once pristine white shirt looked eerie as the light behind him cast a shadow on his features.

"Thank you." Syaoran replied. He quickly wrapped the coat around him and deliberately covered the insignia emblazoned on his shirt. This action did not go unnoticed.

"It's not like you wanted to wear that." He grunted.

"It is something I would rather nobody see."

"The witch said that you were held captive by the one bearing that crest."

Syaoran nodded. "But I have no inkling as to where that dimension was. And even if I knew, I would not be able to go there for I don't have the magic to cross dimensions. I wouldn't be able to take you there." He looked around and was silent for a while. "I'm sorry."

"That's not your fault." Kurogane said looking out into the dark horizon as well. "Before those two return, we need to figure out what we're going to do from now on."

"Have you made your decision?" asked Syaoran.

"Yes."

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine grabbed onto the side of the cliff in an attempt to stop herself from falling, everything seemed to be in slow motion. Her fingers painfully scraped the rough surface of the cliff. She felt her fingernails fold back painfully but fortunately they did not break. She screamed loudly but did not let go. She swung her feet so that it too tried to stop her fall.

But it didn't. It was at least 30 feet when her ruined gloves had slipped off and her boots had lost its traction on the rough surface. She fell to the ground on a crumpled heap, unable to move and to open her eyes. It was there that Meine had lost consciousness.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Why did you allow Sakura-chan to collect the payment alone?" Fai's furious voice rang through the night as he came striding outside to face his remaining companions. The two of them turned around and quickly glanced at each other. From that single look, they had the silent agreement to not tell him that Meine was out there as well.

"The princess wanted it that way." Kurogane replied rather calmly.

Fai seemed to get madder by the second. He obviously did not like Kurogane's response to his question. "And so you didn't stop her?"

"That's right."

Fai closed his eyes and breathed heavily. He felt like punching either one of them for not stopping her. He glared at Kurogane and walked past him.

"Wait, Fai!" Mokona said, bouncing from her spot with a plan to go after him. But she didn't go very far. Syaoran caught her in his arms before Mokona could even get near Fai. Mokona looked up and tried to speak but the boy pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head. Mokona fell silent obediently.

Fai slowed to a stop. "This country is running low on its resources." he said. His voice was shaking slightly in anger. "You wanted to leave the remaining medical supplies for any injuries that Sakura-chan may return with. What if she is unable to come back? If she's just injured, she can still make it. But she could lose her life out there. It's possible that she may never come back from this trip."

"I think the princess was fully prepared for that possibility." Kurogane said.

Fai looked over his shoulder. He kept his voice controlled but his blood was boiling. "If you knew about that, then why didn't you even bother to stop her?"

Kurogane closed his eyes and his eyebrows creased with worry. "I have faith that the princess will keep her promise to return to the place where everyone is waiting for her. I will wait, even if waiting is more painful than going with her."

Fai shook his head. "I'm not waiting." He started to walk forward again.

"Is it that frightening for you to put your faith in someone?" Kurogane had said it softly and without the slightest hint of ill-intention, but it had hit a nerve. Fai stopped in his tracks.

Rain started to fall down upon them.

Mokona gasped. "It's raining! And this rain really hurts. What will happen to Sakura and— mmpff?" Before Mokona could say more, Syaoran clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her.

Fai didn't hear the last part though. He started to walk once more.

"Stop." Kurogane said.

His eyes turned gold and his pupils into slits like a cat. "If you try to stop me again, this will turn into a fight."

"If…" Syaoran began. The other two turned to look at him. They were being buffeted by the burning rain, but none of them cared. "If you go to help her and end up getting hurt yourself, Sakura… I mean the princess will be even more hurt." Fai didn't reply but his eyes widened a little. "The pain in her heart will be greater than the pain caused by her physical injuries. It's just like you feel now, not wanting the princess to get hurt."

His eyes softened and he looked at Syaoran with fondness. "The two of you really are alike, you and the other Syaoran-kun."

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine opened her eyes and found herself lying on her side. Her head was pounding. She could feel blood on the side of her head and new bruises and probably a few broken ribs. Her body hurt, especially her whole right side. But then she remembered the thing that was in her bag. Though still in pain, she hastily opened the latch and unfurled the cloth that she had used to wrap it. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the egg was unharmed.

She took out the compass from within her pockets and it whirled a little, showing her the direction back to where she needed to go. It had a crack along the protective glass covering of the needle, but it was still functioning.

She tried to stand but stumbled as she got herself to her feet. Pain shot up her leg as she fell down once again. She instinctively pressed down on her right ankle but regretted as she did so. It hurt so much. She removed her worn-out boot and examined it.

It was swelling badly and was deep purple in color. By the looks of it, it seems that she has fractured her ankle. She wouldn't be able to stand on it.

She looked around and picked up a long stick. She ripped a piece of her coat using her dagger and used it to create a splint and wrap her ankle tightly with it. Her side throbbed in sync with her ankle, but for now her priority was to return. It would have to wait. She took a deep breath and winced. She probably broke two or three ribs upon impact.

Meine carefully got to her feet, grabbing onto the wall for support. Picking up a thick piece of wood as tall as her, she walked towards her bike while using the wood as a crutch. The bike rumbled to a start when she turned the ignition and she sat down on the seat, making sure her ankle was positioned comfortably. After securing the helpful stick, she prayed that she wouldn't run into anything along the way.

Holding down her side and setting one hand on the handles, she set out into the night.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Ah!" Mokona burst out in surprise and pointing a small paw in the horizon. "It's Sakura!"

The three men jumped up and there indeed was the figure of Sakura in the distance, staggering towards the building. They ran out to meet her. As they approached they were able to see that horrible state she was in. She was wounded badly; on her leg was a metal pipe of some sort sticking out on either side. Her fingernails were gone only to be replaced by bloody fingers. She had also suffered a head wound that deep crimson blood dripped down the side of her face.

"Sakura-chan!'" Fai shouted.

Sakura collapsed but was caught just in time by Fai. He hurriedly wrapped his own warm coat around her and he pressed her against his chest.

With a shaking hand, Sakura touched Fai's arm and looked into his one eye. "Fai-san," she whispered. Her voice was shaking. "When you were in pain, I couldn't do anything. For that I'm sorry. Even right now… Much more than I am, you are hurting."

"Sakura-chan."

She reached to touch his face with shaking, blood-soaked fingers. "But, I'm glad that you are alive."

Fai hung his head and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He buried his face on her shoulder and wept silently. Sakura on the other hand was worried of something else. She looked around her and found that the one she was looking for was absent. She looked at Kurogane.

"Is she…?" she mouthed.

Kurogane shook his head. "Don't say a word to him." He mouthed back, pointing to Fai.

Sakura turned her head to look at the dark horizon behind her.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine had gotten considerably far when the engine stuttered to a halt.

"Damn it, not now." she whispered under her breath. She turned the key in the ignition. It gave a weak splutter but the vehicle remained still. It was dead and she had no other choice but to go on foot, no matter how slow and painful it will be.

She detached the compass from the bike and continued on. She was leaning heavily against her stick with difficulty as one hand held her broken ribs. Rain poured heavily over her and burned every part of her skin that was exposed. For now all she needed to do was to get back, give the egg to the witch, and then pass out.

She's been walking for how long now. She didn't know but she was positive that some time has passed. The blood on the side of her face has trickled to her eye and she had trouble seeing as it is. Her side was throbbing like hell, and so was her leg. But still she persevered. There was no way she was going to die here.

She wasn't able to catch sight of a particularly large rock in her path and she tripped, falling on her face. She cursed loudly and sat up with difficulty. Her foot wouldn't move anymore. It hurt like hell when she had accidentally twisted it as she fell.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and her back tingled. Something was coming, something big. Even without her heightened vampire abilities she could feel something approaching. She turned and saw sand rising up unnaturally in the air in the distance. There was a rumbling sound from under the ground. It was coming towards her.

With her heart beating rapidly, Meine tried to stand but she crashed face flat on the ground. Wanting to move out of harm's way, she crawled on her arms and knees as fast as she could. But whatever was approaching was gaining on her.

Without warning, without even seeing what had hit her, Meine was hit by a hard, large something from the behind and was thrown feet up the air and landed far, far away from where she had come from. It was like hitting a wall, only it was the wall that ran into her.

She skidded to a halt meters away from her previous spot, covered with fresh wounds and sand. Meine tried to stand but only fell back. Her limbs refused to move and when she did, it shook horribly. As she looked up at the monster, she saw that it was another oversized animal. This time it was an elephantine earthworm with hard, concrete-like skin, dots for eyes, and sharp, zigzag teeth. If it wasn't trying to kill her, the creature would've been comical.

It gave a high-pitched screech into the night and lunged at Meine.

She could no longer move out of the way.

It was all to end here.

She shut her eyes, not wanting to see the gullet of the earthworm as she was swallowed by it.

Nothing happened.

She didn't open her eyes just yet. But she could tell that something was happening behind her eyelids. She heard movement and the rustling of what sounded like clothes. The monster screamed and moved a lot, but it did not touch her. She didn't dare open her eyes just yet. She tried to fumble for her gun but her hands were shivering too much to be able to grasp anything.

She heard loud bangs and the incoherent sound of several voices from what seemed like far away.

Meine felt someone touch her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and her eyes met with beautiful green ones. He had wavy, brown hair and a thin face. She tried to move away from him but he had grabbed hold of her waist and hoisted her over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Meine tried to struggle but she could only wiggle under his firm hold.

"If you want to live, please cooperate. We're here to help you." He had said it politely. Meine fell silent and allowed him to take her away to another area far from the colossal earthworm. The nameless, green-eyed man set her down and quickly jumped back to his other companions battling the monster. Within minutes, the monster dropped down with a loud screech of defeat.

"Who…?" Meine muttered under her breath.

"Are you all right?" asked a new voice. A girl about Meine's age with dark green hair with eyes hidden behind glasses came into view. She wore dark, fitting clothing similar to the outfit of the boy next to her. Meine recoiled when she tried to touch her and the girl withdrew her hand tentatively.

"What happened to her?" asked another boy. He had dark blue hair. He crouched down so that he was in level with her face. He waved a hand across her face and leaned forward. Meine leaned back. "Does she even understand us? Why the hell is she wounded so badly?"

Meine slapped the hand that was being waved at her face and glared at him in annoyance. "Who are you people?" she asked.

The boy smiled and opened his mouth to speak when their other companions came. They were all teenagers, probably the same age as Meine except the one boy behind the young man leading the group.

"Be quiet, Rivalz." ordered the young man. The boy named Rivalz raised his hands in the air as if in surrender and stepped away from Meine, winking at her as he did so.

The young man who Meine assumed as their leader walked up to her. She flinched at the way he looked at her. This did not go unnoticed by him. There was something about his eyes that was unnerving. They looked normal, sure. But there was something weird about it.

"Who are you?" he asked. Meine tried her best not to flinch and stared back into his eyes.

"Meine." she said in a small voice. "Who are you?"

He ignored her question. "Meine." he repeated. He looked at Meine and his eyes fell upon the large emblem of the building on her singed coat. Most of it had been burned away and or ripped, but it was still recognizable. His face immediately contorted into what looked like anger.

"You're from that building." he whispered. Meine didn't respond, but it was obvious that a reply wasn't needed. The people behind the young man murmured and looked at Meine with what looked like hatred. She felt small, weak, and tired. If they killed her here, she wouldn't mind. She closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath, only gasping when pain shot in her side.

"She should be killed." She overheard someone whisper. "She is from that retched building."

"But she's already wounded as it is, Kallen-san. She need not suffer any longer. From the looks of her, it looks like she's broken quite a few bones already" It was a girl who had spoken.

"But what could she possibly be doing outside in this time of night? It's dangerous to be travelling alone now that Tokyo is like this."

"Enough." said their leader.

They fell silent and they all looked at him, waiting for him to make the verdict. He looked at Meine for a minute or two, deciding on what her future would be. In the end, he decided. He pulled back his black, waterproof coat and revealed the matte finish of a gun in its holster. He pulled it out slowly as if he was deliberately making Mein's heart hammer loudly against her chest. She could feel her heart, pumping blood faster through his veins in its last attempt to live. She was to die here, in the hands of an unknown person.

The gun was pointed at her, directly between her eyes. She couldn't close her eyes. She was forced to stare at gun. Everyone held their breath, even Meine. Her hands shook but she tried not to show it. She knew that it was coming, she could almost see him moving his finger to pull the trigger…

Then, a pale hand was placed over the young man's weapon. A woman who was silently standing near the back of the group, unnoticed, stood next to him with her eyes on Meine's. She had long, almost-waist length green hair and golden eyes.

"C.C., what are you doing?" he asked.

"Stop, Lelouch." she said calmly even though he was glaring at her.

He lowered his gun and allowed himself to be taken to the side by the woman named C.C. They talked in hushed voices for a minute or two, glancing at Meine from time to time. The verdict of the "council" about her life was unnerving. All eyes of the bystanders were on her. She wanted to shrink to a miniscule molecule rather than being gawked at like this.

Finally, the two of them returned. Lelouch, the name of that young man, looked infuriated. He threw Meine a dirty look and sighed loudly.

"All right, we're going to take this girl back to that building." He grumbled. Some of them were defiant and threw Meine hateful looks. Some sighed with relief. One of them was the concerned girl from earlier.

"Help her up." Lelouch ordered, pinching the bridge of his nose and waving his hand in Meine's general direction.

Meine was brought up to her feet with some difficulty. She watched them with slightly wide eyes. Arrangements for the small group with Meine were quick and precise. These group of teenagers knew well what they were doing. But even though they looked harmless now, she had strong doubts that this was just a trap. She could be shot unknowingly while travelling and be left on the side of the road.

They sat Meine on a sidecar. She sat there a little cramped because it was small with her leg in a splint. She took her stick and her bag. Within minutes they were already zooming away from the others. The motorbike was noisy and its loud rumble echoed through the night, driving away the monsters.

She clasped her hands together, as if in a prayer, that she would be brought safely back to the tower.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Fai let Sakura lay down on the flat bed of rock near the entrance at Sakura's request, using his lap as her pillow. Mokona had just swallowed the mysterious glowing egg whole and Yuuko picked it up delicately in her side. She smiled at Sakura.

"I therefore accept the first _half_ of the payment."

She disappeared from view to place the egg in a safe place only to reappear a second later with the smile on her face gone. She had an air of seriousness around her that made them pay attention more.

"Princess Sakura, the man who stole your memories in the ruins of Clow Country is named Fei Wong Reed. To be precise, he did not steal your memories because he needed them. Fei Wong Reed's true goal was to disperse your memories in the form of feathers."

Fai kept his head down as Yuuko spoke; Kurogane gritted his teeth angrily; Syaoran hung his head in silence.

"For what reason?" Sakura asked with slight difficulty as she was breathing heavily just by breathing. It was obvious that she was struggling not to faint right there.

"For the sake of his wish." Yuuko replied. "For Fei Wong's wish to be granted, he needed two things. The first is the ruins that are buried in Clow Country. The other is to have the princess of Clow, who has a mysterious ability, to search for her memories so that she would travel to different worlds. By crossing dimensions, and sometimes crossing through time, said princess is gaining "memories" of the different worlds she has visited."

"Memories?"

"But Sakura slept through the beginning of the journey." Mokona said. "She can't possibly remember what happened while she was asleep."

"The memories that Fei Wong needs are not the ones of the heart, rather they are the memories of the body." The witch explained. "The body can remember each and every dimension of the world. That is the power the Princess Sakura holds, a power that can change worlds.

"To accomplish his goal, he murdered Kurogane's mother, the priestess of the land of Suwa, and destroyed his country."

Kurogane's head snapped up in slight surprise, his anger eminent in his eyes. "What does that have to do with any of this?"

"He did it so you would leave Suwa and become a ninja of Japan. So you would serve Princess Tomoyo and go on a journey some day. The reason for that is because in Japan, the only person able to send people to other worlds is Princess Tomoyo."

"I served the princess out of my own free will." He growled.

"Yes, Princess Tomoyo believes that as well. That's why she sent you, even though she knew of Fei Wong's plans." Yuuko turned to Fai, her eyes as piercing as always. "It was the same for you, is it not? What was planned and what was not, you probably know by now."

Fai avoided her eyes and looked down. He seemed lost in thought that his eyes got hazy for a second. His hands trembled slightly. But a warm hand touched his. He snapped out of his daze and looked down At Sakura who looked up from his with worried eyes. He smiled gently at the wounded princess and placed his other hand atop of hers.

"To ensure the safety of Sakura and the creation of her memories, the other Syaoran, Kurogane, Fai, and Meine, the four of you were all gathered as fellow travelers on this journey."

"And Mokona?" the small voice came from Mokona that it was so unlike her.

Yuuko smiled. "The two Mokonas were created by myself and another magician, Clow Reed to stop Fei Wong's plan and for the sake of the two futures."

Yuuko looked at Syaoran, then over her shoulder. There behind her was a bed with translucent blinds drawn around it. A young man with dark hair, a thin body, and wounds covered with bandages was lying on the bed fast asleep. Syaoran's eyes were immediately filled with worry. Yuuko too looked slightly worried.

"It's all right." She said softly. "You, and all of the other people who do not want to lose this child have paid the price so that he will not disappear from your hearts."

Syaoran bowed his head, his eyes closed. "Thank you very much."

"You said Fei Wong's wish could only be granted by those ruins and Sakura's memories." Kurogane said. "What is his wish?"

"He wishes for the power to cross time and space. He wishes to obtain the power to manipulate time and space."

Sakura raised herself a little. "What will he do with that power?"

It took a while for Yuuko to answer. She avoided everyone's eyes and spoke. "That, I cannot tell you. But, Fei Wong's wish is a wish that anyone can dream of, but nobody can grant.

"This is the extent of what I can tell you. Anymore than this will exceed the interference value."

"What is this interference value?" the ninja grunted.

"At first glance, the world seems to be in chaos. While monitoring the sway of the world, it becomes necessary to maintain a balance. And if those who maintain the balance lose that balance, everything will fall apart. Because Fei Wong made all of you go on this journey, things have already begun to collapse. But anything born from destruction also has a meaning and purpose. That is because everything is inevitable.

"Your meeting and subsequent travels were all a setup. Even so, everything that happened afterwards stemmed from your own choices. Those who came willingly and those that came with the flow, either way, these are the results of the choices you've made. Much was lost along the way, but much was born from the journey as well.

"Each of you should choose your own path for yourselves."

Sakura clenched her hands and pushed herself up. "I will continue this journey," she stated. "To find Syaoran-kun, I will continue this journey."

"If you pursue Syaoran-kun and continue with this journey, you will be following Fei Wong's wishes."

"Even so I will go." Sakura replied immediately. "In order to get Syaoran-kun's heart, I will go."

"May I come with you?" Fai asked his voice pleasantly light. "Right now, Syaoran-kun has my left eye. Magic sharing the same core attracts one another, so I may be of some help in finding Syaoran-kun."

Sakura looked at the older man for some time. She touched his hand. "Is that what Fai-san truly desires? You're not just saying that because of what I said, right? You're not hiding what you really want to do?"

He smiled sadly. "That is what I truly desire." He held her hand with both of his and raised it to chest height. "I cannot perform healing magic. As a magician that cannot even heal your wounds, will you still let me accompany you?"

"Whether you can use magic or not, Fai-san is still Fai-san."

He lowered his head and touched his lips to her hand. "_Vi la Princia."_

"Mokona wants to travel with everybody too!" Mokona exclaimed. "Kurogane?"

"I want to return to Japan, that hasn't changed." He said. "But there are some things that I must do before that. It's okay to make more than one promise. Also, I want to meet that person I have been looking for."

"What about you, _Syaoran_?" Yuuko asked.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was a new fire in them. "There is something I want to get back. I may fail, but…" He glanced over at Sakura, their eyes meeting at the same time. "If I can, I want to protect her. I want to go on with everyone."

He raised his head to look at Yuuko, but the witch was looking past him, through the crumbling wall behind them. Her face was unnaturally blank. Then she spoke.

"The other half is coming."

She didn't need to say more. Kurogane moved swiftly, taking an extra rain coat lying forgotten in the corner. Syaoran turned his back towards Yuuko and searched for a figure in the darkness. Sakura too looked relieved. But Fai sat there, confused. He looked at the others and at Yuuko. F some reason he felt dread at the pit of his stomach.

"What's going on?" he asked. "What's coming?"

No one answered him. They avoided looking at his eyes. He clenched his hands to a fist. His feeling of dread elevated to an alarming level.

Who would be outside in the dead of night, just like Sakura? Someone who belonged in their group that he was yet to see since he had woken up…

Then it dawned on him, as clear as a bell. All doubts were eradicated the moment he had said it out loud.

"Meine!"

**XxXxXxXxX**

The small group stopped at a walking distance away from the building, saying that they didn't want to be seen by the inhabitants. They had already pushed far enough inside their territory and the sound of their bikes were luckily camouflaged by the timely acid rain. Meine was carried out of the side car and was escorted by C.C through the rain on foot. C.C held her bag and had an arm around her waist so they could walk a little faster.

They stopped walking when they could see the light coming from ground floor of the building through the rain in the distance. She handed Meine her bag and stood there in front of her for a while.

"Thank you." Meine said. "I couldn't thank you enough. You had saved my life."

C.C's face remained blank. She reminded her of Yuuko, only this woman seemed much more… quirkier. If it was possible, even weirder than Yuuko. "I expect great things from you." She said. Her voice was like twinkling bells, which surprised her a tiny bit. "The time of your death wasn't yet, so I had spared your life."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"You will." C.C said. "Soon…"

With that, she turned her back on Meine and walked away. She swung the bag over her shoulder and walked very slowly towards the light now. She hadn't gone far when she saw a tall, shadowy figure approaching. She stopped in her tracks and squinted to see who it was. That person was running towards her. His voice, deep and urgent, called for her name. She knew it was Kurogane.

She dropped her stick and attempted to walk towards him to meet him, but she forgot about her injured leg. She started to tumble towards the ground, but Kurogane reached her just in time. He hurriedly wrapped her in an extra layer of that warm raincoat and carried her in his arms.

She sighed and rested her head on his chest. She felt safe now. They walked towards the warm light of the building. With her face so close to his body, she could smell the distinct combination of blood and dried sweat.

"You didn't get your back treated, haven't you?" she asked with difficulty. Her side throbbed with every word and breath.

"Obviously." he replied.

"Is… Sakura here?"

"Yes. She arrived an hour or so ago."

"I see… And is he…?"

"Yes." Kurogane answered. She didn't need to say more who "he" was. "Stop speaking and rest."

"I can't…" she whispered. "Not yet."

Meine closed her eyes as she was introduced to the warmth and the glare of the lights of the building. She heard consecutive gasps as they Kurogane stopped walking. She opened her eyes tentatively and saw that all of them were gathered on the same bed of rock near the entrance where they had laid Fai earlier that night. Every one of her companions and Yuuko all had their eyes on her.

Sakura tried to get up but instead she winced in pain and sat back down. Meine looked down at the girl's feet only to see a broken piece of metal sticking out of her leg on either side. She was horribly injured, but instead she worried about the other. She tried to tell her to not worry, that everything was fine. But as soon as she inhaled for breath to speak, she winced in pain and held her broken ribs.

"It's best to put her down." Syaoran advised.

Kurogane didn't need telling twice. Slowly and carefully, he placed Meine on her feet and sat her down next to Sakura. She looked over at the other princess next to her, the worry and relief eminent on her face. Meine reached for her hand, her bloody hand, and held it with hers.

"Thank goodness." Sakura whispered, placing her own hand on top of Meine's. "You're alive." She too was having difficulty with just breathing. She squeezed her hand gently in reply.

She raised her head and looked past Sakura, to the man who was on his feet, his blue eye widened in surprise. His mouth was half way open as if he was about to say something. He looked perfectly healthy, that is if you disregard his eye patch. If you look very well into his single eye, you would see a glint of liquid gold mixed with the pool of blue. It was weird.

Forcing her eyes away from Fai, Meine stuck her head inside her bag and extracted the egg with gentle fingers. She handed this to Mokona.

"Mokona, I leave this to you." She whispered.

Mokona nodded, looking worried. She swallowed the egg whole and in no time, Yuuko held it within her hands.

"Then, I will accept the last half of the payment for the water." she said.

"Thank goodness." Sakura whispered.

"I would need you, Meine, to make a decision just like your companions have made." Yuuko said her tone serious. "They have all decided to go and continue this journey. You would have to make your decision as well."

Meine looked around at all of them, their eyes on her with the exception of Fai who kept his head down. Of all of them, she was the only one who had no particular reason. She had tagged along with them even after they had arrived back in her own world. She chose to leave her own country, thinking that she had a future with Fai. But that was a dead end. Back in Rosette, the whole land waited for her to return for good and take her seat in the throne.

She glanced over at Fai and noticed for the first time his hands gripping his pants. His hands were shaking slightly with the effort he was exerting. She looked around one more time. The corners of Mokona's eyes were brimming with tears. Syaoran and Sakura both looked at her, anxious and worried, and Kurogane, who was often stone-faced showed emotion.

She closed her own eyes and found for her answer within.

"I…" she whispered. She raised her head to look at the witch's eyes. "I will go. We have been through many worlds together, we've been together for who knows how long, I don't just want to leave them just because I no longer have a purpose. I have learned a lot during this journey, things that the best teachers of my land cannot teach me. I have found irreplaceable companions, and I have met different people. I've decided that I will stick with these people till the end."

"I understand." Yuuko nodded. "But I must tell you to treat your wounds in that dimension for a while before moving to the next."

With that sentence, Yuuko was ready to say goodbye, but Meine wasn't finished just yet.

"Wait." Meine said. Yuuko looked at her. "I wish to speak to you privately."

"The return of your powers can wait. For now, just rest."

"No, this is different."

It seems that Yuuko understood. "I understand."

Meine turned her head slightly to the others, she couldn't move her head that much, as the room was starting to spin as it is. She felt Mokona land softly on her thigh. She held the warm creature with one, less-bloody hand. "If you don't mind…"

Syaoran nodded and he hesitantly walked towards Sakura. He supported her arm as the girl leaned heavily on him. Within seconds, the two of them had disappeared behind the maze of large debris. An uncomfortable silence hung over them, the only sound that could be heard was the pitter-patter of the acid rain, the soft sizzling sound of the objects it slowly corroded, and Meine's heavy breathing.

Finally, Fai stood up and walked away slowly. It was awkward. Meine watched him as he went slowly, not even bothering to look at her. She must look worse than she thought. But it didn't matter now, Meine no longer cared.

"Kurogane-san," She breathed. Now that she was able to rest, her body felt heavy and her muscles were extremely sore. Her eyes were starting to get hazy too. She felt a fuzzy and warm object on her thigh. It seems that Mokona had gone to look at her closer. "Please…"

"No, I'll stay here." He said, for some reason not looking at Meine but at Fai. "I doubt you can stay conscious for long. I won't leave you."

Fai stopped abruptly and turned to look at Kurogane. For the longest second they glared at each other. She couldn't understand what was happening. It was as if two powerful creatures were growling at each other, face to face.

The mage pulled his eyes away from Kurogane and dared a glance at Meine. Immediately his expression changed to something that Meine couldn't understand. He turned his back to them and walked away, his fists clenched tightly.

Meine turned to Yuuko who had been watching silently. She bowed her head respectfully. "Please tell me. I know that you know what… what this thing inside me is. I know that something other than me took over during that fight with the other Syaoran. I was vaguely aware of what was happening, and this thing inside me took advantage of me being mentally weak. Whatever it is, it feels like it was trying to get out."

Yuuko closed her eyes and nodded. "The price of that information has been paid."

"By whom?" she asked.

"By your mother... Right before she died."

The witch opened her eyes, not a trace of her playful side was present. "You are aware that you are only a half, correct?" Meine nodded. "Your father is a mage, as I have told you. Do you know what your father did before he had arrived in Rosette?"

"No, he never told us anything."

"Do you know your father's name?"

Meine thought. She sat there for five minutes, but for some reason when she thought of "Father", the only thing that appeared in her head was her father's face. Nothing more. Now that she thought about it, she had never bothered to ask. What kind of a daughter was she, not even knowing her father's name? He was called the King of the kingdom, but they always needed the council's approval most of the time before public announcements. She had always called him Father.

"You do not know, correct?"

Meine bit her tongue.

"That is because your father has never used his real name ever since he had met your mother, and not once has he told his children. His name is Erik, Erik D. Skylar."

"Why? Why did Father do that?"

"Your father once travelled through different dimensions as a recreational hunter. Unlike those hunter brothers who hunt for profit, he only hunts what he wants.

"Your father who was still young at that time was searching for a powerful crystal that is known to be a heart. It was a legendary item said to be the core of the only daughter of a powerful ice demon. Your father always did anything to attain what he wanted. He killed the ice demon's only daughter right under the demon's nose.

"Furious at the loss of his precious daughter, the ice demon cast a curse on Erik. It was a curse that your young father did not expect. The demon had said that in the future, his first daughter will share a body with his daughter. As Erik's daughter grows, the demon within her will slowly gain power. In time, the two souls will fight for control. If his daughter were to lose the fight, the demon will take over. He had said that child's soul will simply vanish from the universe. Your father had ignored this warning and killed he demon."

Meine had been silent all throughout her explanation. As Yuuko spoke, she felt something stir inside her. She placed a hand over her chest as if she could touch that other being within her. She couldn't speak even if she wanted to. Her voice seems to have disappeared.

"Oi." Kurogane said. Meine tilted her head towards him to indicate that she was listening. "What do you mean by _"that child's soul will vanish from the universe"_?"

Yuuko didn't reply for quite some time. She seemed to be hesitating on whether or not to tell them or not. But Meine met her eyes and nodded.

"It means that Meine will cease to exist."

Meine closed her eyes. She was scared, she wasn't going to deny that. She wanted to cower in fear and hide from whatever this creature was. She didn't want to die and let someone else take over her body.

She felt water in her hands and she opened her eyes. Mokona was crying and she was hugging her hand. The creature didn't have to speak. Meine cupped the creature to her cheek. "Meine…" Mokona paused to hiccup as more tears trickled down her cheek. "Meine won't lose! Meine is strong!"

She couldn't say anything, the words stuck to her throat. She simply pat Mokona's back and smiled. She looked up at Yuuko and motioned for her to proceed. Yuuko obliged.

"Are you certain that I will return your loaned price in my possession tonight?" Yuuko asked. Meine nodded. "The fatigue from your journey and the force of the process will knock you out. Are you still willing to continue?"

"Yes." Meine replied, setting Mokona down.

Yuuko looked worried for a moment but nodded. She ordered Kurogane to back away a few feet and bring Mokona with him. He did as he was told. Meine sat there alone on the bed of rock unable to stand because of her injuries. She closed her eyes and waited for pain.

Instead of the anticipated pain, Meine felt a comforting heat envelop her instead. She opened her eyes slightly and saw her hands, a soft purple glow fading as she blinked to clear her eyes. Her eyesight got clearer that it made the room spin. She could hear a lot of things. She was also extra sensitive. She didn't know that she relied on her abilities too much.

But then she noticed that something was off. Her suddenly sharp senses were blurred. She felt warm all over, from her ears to the tips of her toes. Her pain was suddenly washed away and she couldn't feel a thing.

"Sleep." She heard Yuuko's voice from far away. "Close your eyes, child. You'll be out for a while."

She did as Yuuko said. She closed her eyes and her consciousness was slipping away. Her thoughts were all muddled up together into one big boiling mass of confusion. For now, it didn't matter.

Kurogane caught her just in time before her head hit the hard rock bed. She had simply closed her eyes and dozed off. Slowly and watching out for her leg with utmost care, he scooped the princess in his arms, and together with Mokona they went deeper inside the building.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine has been asleep for almost two days now. The men took turns watching over her just in case she woke up, but the one who took the longest shifts was Fai. He would sit there for two or more hours than his allotted time. He did nothing but sit beside Meine's bed, holding her hand when no one was watching. Her wounds had been treated to the best they can but this country itself was lacking in medical supplies. Her broken bones were treated to the best they can provide, but it still wasn't enough.

It was evening of the third day when something finally snapped between the two older men. For days, the two of them did not speak to each other. Only once did Fai speak to Kurogane, and during that he had called him by his name, his proper name. He didn't eat anything, probably because all he could consume now was his host's blood. But said host is still asleep. As the days go by, he has been getting paler and paler, his usual clear skin was turning sallow.

The canvas cover which served as the door for the room where Meine slept flapped open and Kurogane stepped inside. Fai looked up briefly but looked back down. He didn't move an inch from where he sat.

"Oi." Kuorgane said. "It's my turn. Go somewhere else."

"No." Fai replied. His voice was rough from hours of keeping silent.

Kurogane sighed. He grabbed a chair and sat on it.

"Kurogane, answer me this." Fai said suddenly after a moment of silence. Kurogane looked up slightly. He felt a bit uncomfortable that his name would just be said like that without those honorifics that he was coming to miss. "Why did you allow Meine to go out at night?"

"The same reason that I let Sakura out. You know very well that the two of them are both very stubborn. I trust that the two of them would come back. I believed in their promises and waited for them."

"Then why didn't you tell me beforehand that Meine was also outside along with Sakura-chan."

"We all know that even though the two of you are no longer officially together, it's obvious to the people watching that you hold very strong feelings for her. Even stronger than the love that you feel for the other princess. If your reaction for her decision had gone to that extent, don't you think that your reaction would be twice than what you had done if we had told you Meine was outside? We decided to not say it until the moment arrived."

Fai gritted his teeth, his hands slightly shaking in anger and hunger. He stood up as he spoke. "You had promised me… You promised that you would protect her!"

Kurogane felt his own anger rise. He stood up and punched the wall behind Fai. His fist left a large crater on the wall. "Did you honestly think that I would let the two of them go out if ever I was the one to decide?" he bellowed loudly. "Meine might be your treasured person, but she is just as important to me as she is to you. She had made the decision herself and I had no right to say anything against it!"

The canvas door fluttered open and a very bewildered Syaoran stood at the threshold. He saw the hole, Kurogane fuming, and Fai looking angrier than he had ever seen. "What's going on?" he asked. No one gave him any mind.

The ninja turned and stomped angrily to Fai. He glared at the other man, speaking with his teeth clenched. "I have told you once before in Bit Fortress, if you're not going to take her then I'll gladly take her off your hands."

Fai looked down. "If you'll protect her, then that would probably be for the best."

A fist suddenly connected with his face and he was thrown away from the force. He hit the wall rather hard that the material cracked. Fai stood slowly and massaged his jaw as it aligned to place. He didn't even feel anger towards Kurogane for punching him like that. The man probably didn't hold back knowing that he would heal in a second.

"BULLSHIT!" Kurogane roared. He grabbed Fai by the collar of his shirt. He punched Fai on the stomach. Fai jumped back and fell to his knees, holding his midriff with one hand. His face was swollen and bleeding, but they were slowly healing as seconds ticked. Kurogane pulled back his arm for one more punch but a hand stopped him. Syaoran had stepped inside the room and stopped Kurogane from landing one more blow.

Kurogane breathed heavily in his rage. He gently pulled away his arm from Syaoran's tight grasp. The ninja glared at Fai, who hung his head in silence. He stepped towards him and punched him hard in the stomach again that he hit the floor. Syaoran averted his eyes. Something must have happened, but he decided to keep silent. Blood dribbled down the corner of Fai's mouth. "She's not as fragile as you think she is." He whispered so that Syaoran wouldn't hear.

Kurogane turned on his heel and walked out the door without a backwards glance. But the two he had left stood there silently in the room. Fai didn't move from his spot on the floor as his wounds healed in a rate that cannot be possible for regular humans.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that, Syaoran-kun." Fai whispered as he stood up and casually brushed off specks of plaster off his clothes. "Don't mind any of the things you saw just now."

"I don't know what is going on between you and Kurogane-san and Meine-san as well, but I have been watching all of you during your journey. I know that it is none of my business as an outsider, but I believe that I must say that you look the happiest when in Meine-san's presence."

Fai was slightly taken aback at the straight-forward attitude. He smiled slightly, mostly to himself and walked passed him. He didn't want to talk about this, not now and certainly not in the near future. "Thank you for your concern, Syaoran-kun. But since Kurogane has walked out on me and it is the end of my watch, can I rely on you to please watch over here for a while. I believe that I need my rest."

Syaoran nodded. "Please rest then. I'll watch over Meine-san."

**XxXxXxXxX**

Meine slowly opened her eyes. It was dark. Her body felt extremely heavy. She must have been asleep for a couple of days or so. Even in her half-awake state, she could feel that she was not alone in the room. Someone was poking her leg gently. Slowly, she raised her hand and saw her fingers wrapped neatly and individually with thin bandages so that she could move her hands. She stretched her fingers and looked at it with curiosity.

"Oh, you're awake." said a woman's voice. Meine drew her eyes away from her hand and saw Satsuki, the building's medical student raise her head from the foot of the bed where she was lying down on. There was sweat on her brow and her glasses were balanced at the tip of her nose. Meine tried to sit up but Satsuki stopped her from doing so.

"Don't get up yet. It's best if you stayed like that for a while. You still have a slight fever caused by your wounds and prolonged exposure to rain, but not as high as the one yesterday." she explained. "It's best if you just lay down for a minute while I redress your wounds."

Meine agreed silently by lying back down on the hard bed. Now that the older woman had mentioned it, her head did feel unnaturally light.

Satsuki proceeded to change her bandages, starting with her legs. "Forgive me for saying this, but I believe it's a miracle that you were able to come back alive on foot with these wounds and a broken leg. You're much more wounded than Sakura-san. And to think that you've managed to wake after three days. You have a scapular fracture on your shoulder, a deep cut near your scalp, a broken right leg with a sprained left ankle, bleeding fingers, cuts and bruises all over your body. Everyone is really glad that you came back alive, Meine-san."

"I'm glad too." Meine whispered. She winced as Satsuki wrapped fresh bandages around her fingers.

"I'm sorry. The supply of anesthesia in this country has long been depleted. Those who happen to have them refuse to give it up. I'm sorry."

"I-It's okay. I'm fine." Meine said, trying to ignore the stinging on the antibacterial medicine working.

Satsuki worked in silence for the next quarter of an hour or so. She had helped Meine sit up so that she could replace the bandages that wrapped around her breasts, most of her middle section, and around her right shoulder. All the while, Meine held her hair over her shoulder as to not bother Satsuki. But she could feel that something was wrong with her usually silky hair. She examined them closely, and saw that most of her hair was burnt and the ends were splitting. This bothered her greatly.

"Satsuki-san, can I ask a favor from you?" Meine asked.

"As long as it is within my abilities, I will try my best to help you." she replied curtly.

Meine told her that the only way to save her damaged hair was to cut it. And she requested that she cut it short. At first Satsuki was against cutting Meine's long hair, but she insisted that she will need hair that won't be hard to manage in days that she might encounter a dangerous creature. She sat Meine on a chair in the middle of the room and proceeded to cut. The snip, snip, snip of the sharp scissors cutting hair echoed in the room, and Meine was regretting her decision more and more as the weight of her heavy hair was slowly being cut away.

"There." Satsuki said, brushing long strands of hair off Meine's shoulders. "That's the shortest that I'll cut it."

"Can I see it?" she requested.

She was helped into an old but functioning wheelchair. She was then pushed to the bathroom at the corner of the room. Meine's eyes opened wide at the sight of her own reflection. She did look refreshingly different, ignoring her mostly-bandaged body of course. Her hair was the shortest it has ever been in her whole life. The longest locks of her hair were just an inch longer from her chin. It was a funny feeling having the ends of your own hair tickling your neck. She couldn't find the will to speak.

Satsuki helped Meine dress into new clothes: a simple white dress that was from her own personal suitcase she had brought from Rosette. Every bit of her body not covered by clothes was either bandaged or had plaster over them. She was covered with white everywhere.

"Are you hungry? You haven't had food for three days now." Meine nodded, actually eager to at least put a small amount of food in her gullet which grumbled loudly as if on cue. "Then I'll go get someone to help me carry you to the mess hall."

"Thank you very much." She replied.

Meine was then left alone. She sat there in her wheelchair, resting her slightly heavy head on her shoulder. She closed her eyes for a minute to relieve herself. She didn't even notice that she was no longer alone in the little room. Someone had slipped inside silently.

It was a minute after that that Meine noticed that she was no longer alone. The person's aura was not unfamiliar, it wasn't evil either. She didn't know who it belonged to, which was weird. She opened her eyes.

There stood Fai in front of her. His complexion was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. He had also lost some weight.

"Fai-san…" Meine whispered. He just nodded his head in reply.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. His voice was hoarse, as if he hasn't used it in a while. His face was void of his usual aloof expressions. But she could tell that he was looking at her missing hair.

"Sore, light-headed, confused." Meine said the things on the top of her head. She smiled at him but he did not smile back. She chose to continue to speak in a light, conversational tone. "You look like you haven't slept in days." He did not reply to this comment.

Now that Meine was paying attention to him, she noticed that he was leaning heavily against the wall and his breathing pattern was slightly ragged. "Fai-san, are you all right?" She strained her arms to work and she wheeled herself towards him. He did look sick upon closer inspection. And now Meine knew the reason.

"You need blood." She said.

"No." he lied.

She clicked her tongue and he took his arm to pull him down to his knees so he was shorter than her. He followed, surprisingly. Meine ignored the bandages on her fingers and drew out the talon in her index finger. She raised her left arm, the one that was less bandaged, and made an inch-length laceration on her forearm. Fai widened his eyes in shock and hunger. His blue eye flashed gold at her sight of dark red liquid oozing from the wound. She offered this to him. At first he looked hesitant, but he licked his lips. Meine extended her arm out more, the blood was starting to drip down to her elbow.

Fai leaned forward and he held Meine's arm to steady it. His warm tongue dragged from her elbow up to the fresh wound and he felt her move slightly, but she didn't pull away. He closed his eyes, enjoying the hot liquid running down his throat. Her blood tasted odd, but it quenched his thirst greatly. He sucked as gently as he could on the wound, until he heard Meine gasp loudly.

Immediately, Fai pulled away immediately and moved away. He looked at Meine's pale face for a moment, to her open wound which no longer bled, then back again to her face. She smiled weakly at him and she started to tip forward slightly.

Fai raised his arms and caught Meine before she could even fall off her chair. She felt lighter, probably lost some weight from not eating while she was asleep. He started to panic in his mind, thinking of what to do now that he went overboard in his first vampire meal.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "But I think I'm going to sleep once again." He felt Meine slowly lean forwards more and she was caught before half of her bottom left the wheelchair seat. "Thank you…"

Meine's eyes closed once again and she fell of her chair, landing on top of Fai-san warm body. Slowly and carefully, he carried his princess back to the bed and stroked her now short hair. He gently laid a blanket over her body and sat next to her. Fai felt the silence ringing in his ears. He was unconsciously leaning forwards as if about to kiss her, but then he heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards the direction of this room. He stood from the bed and fled quickly from the room.

**XxXxXxXxX**

It took Meine a whole day to recover and finally regain consciousness once again. With her finally well to be able to stand, the date of their departure has finally been decided. Meine had surprised everyone when she appeared in front of them with her hair chopped off and she looked older in a way. On the day of their departure, everyone other than Meine was given new clothes. They did nothing but prepare during that day, but Meine and Sakura just sat in a corner. There was a somber air around the two of them. Sakura didn't speak or smile; she just hugged the egg-shaped container that held her feather. She seemed to be thinking really hard and barely noticed Meine or Mokona who sat next to her.

"Meine," someone called. Meine looked up from the random point she has been staring at for the past five minutes or so. It was Kamui, wearing clothes identical to Subaru's who stood by his side. His arms were crossed and he was frowning. He beckoned for Meine to go to follow.

She set Mokona down and stood, limping slightly. She met with Subaru half way towards him. He carried her the rest of the way.

"Hello," she greeted casually.

"We have something we want to tell you." Subaru said. She nodded for him to continue. He held both of Meine's shoulders. "We want you to come with us."

She blinked a few times in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Leave them." Kamui said rather rudely. "Come with us instead."

"Why?"

Subaru smiled. "We'll be able to protect you more from whatever will try to attack you. You'll be safer with us. We can take care of you."

Meine shook her head and smiled politely. "No."

"Why not?" Kamui demanded. He looked affronted by her up front refusal.

"Please respect my decision." She said politely.

"Yes, but—" Subaru tried to say.

"Aren't the two of you on the run yourself from Seishiro-san?" she cut in. Kamui clenched his fist and Subaru somewhat winced. "Don't you think we'll attract more attention if the three of us were to go together everywhere? The chances that we will meet him would be higher if I were to tag along with the two of you."

The two of them did not reply, but their eyes did met discreetly when Meine looked away for a second. She waited for them to speak and state their rebuttal but none came. "I appreciate you worrying about me, but please worry more about yourselves. Stay safe."

Subaru hugged Meine and smoothed down her now short hair. "Promise me that you'll stay out of trouble."

"Trouble usually is the one that finds me, but okay."

Kamui patted her head gently and for once flashed her a smile. She returned it half-heartedly knowing that there is a high chance that their paths will not cross a third time. She hugged them, kissed them both on the cheek and turned to leave.

As she was about to turn a corner which blocked Sakura from view, Kamui called for her attention. She turned back and saw him smiling gently, the kind of smile he usually reserved for Subaru only. "Shorter hair suits you better." She smiled and nodded, waving her hand as she turned and didn't look back.

Instead of seeing Sakura still dazed and sitting on the rock, she found Kurogane sitting with his arms and legs crossed on Sakura's former spot. He stood up as she approached. She nodded politely at him and allowed him to support her back to the flat rock. She didn't say thanks but instead squeezed his hand before letting go.

"We'll be leaving in an hour." He said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." She replied simply.

"You sure about your decision about not tagging along with them? You are the only one with no goal whatsoever." His tone was light and casual, but Meine frowned.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"I just happened to pass by. I didn't mean to do it."

She sighed and shrugged, leaning against her arms as she adjusted to a comfortable position where she wouldn't feel any pain. "I promised I would help. I'm not the one to back out on promises."

Kurogane let the subject drop and helped Meine limp to the entrance where everyone was to assemble.

Meine stood along with the others, sticking out like a sore thumb as she was the only one who wore her own clothes. Everyone else wore outfits identical to the people standing in front of them. She stood on unstable limbs at the end of the line, farthest from where Fai stood. He avoided looking at her and she did the same.

"Do you really have to go?" Kazuki asked, his lower lip jutting out in a pout. Meine pat his head gently in goodbye. "At least stay until your wounds have fully healed." He was pulled back by his peers and Mokona's wings spread out as she soared over their heads.

Meine looked at Subaru and Kamui for the last time and waved goodbye to them knowing that it would may as well be the last time that they will see each other. Subaru and Kamui both smiled sadly as wind from Mokona's mouth picked up speed.

"We'll try to find a way to return the item that you have left behind the next time you come back!" someone shouted over the howl of the wind. Meine was unable to identify who spoke because of the noise. But over the sound she heard Sakura say okay.

Kurogane placed an arm over her shoulder and held her tight to his side as Mokona started to swallow them. She didn't mind. She leaned heavily against his warm, muscular body and closed her eyes, surrendering to the bleakness of the state her heart was in.

**-_chapter end-_**

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**__heyzelle: **oh thank god, finally it's over! next chapter won't be up in a while. the reason why it takes so long is because i write one chapter then upload then write the next chapter and so on. so forgive us for being late, but we do have lives too.

Please review, that would mean so much to us!


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